Perseus: God of tides and childhood
by mcdn11
Summary: Perseus Jackson is not the demigod son of Poseidon, he is the son of Poseidon with Hera much before the both of them were married to their respective spouses. He must live in exile due to Zeus paranoia, only for Artemis to know where he is. What will happen between the two gods?
1. An island boy

Before Zeus was married to Hera. Before Poseidon was married to Amphitrite, a child was born.

Perseus, Percy for short, was the son of Poseidon and Hera, the firstborn god from two gods as parents. He was the god of many things, including but not limited to childhood and tides. Because of his power and non-linear affiliation with him, Zeus banished him to a secret island, one which nobody would ever find him. Then, he forced Perseus' father to marry the daughter of Oceanus, supposedly to keep the peace, as he himself married Perseus' mother Hera, who was unable to make a stand for herself due to her broken heart.

Centuries passed and only a few people remembered Perseus. In those centuries, Zeus had gone off to make other women pregnant, angering and saddening his wife Hera. At first, it was only with immortals, but after a few centuries, he began to lay with mortal women, making her even angrier. Not only had he forced her to marry him, but he had also gone and laid with many mortals, inferior beings.

One of the infidelity cases was the result of the twin archers, Artemis and Apollo. Both of them hated their stepmother Hera with passion, as she had made it so their mother had very difficult and painful childbirth. As they grew, Apollo began to be more smitten with the women, so much that he began to be with a woman almost every day.

As for Artemis, she received the domain of chastity and virginity, and as a result, was basically forbidden to lay with men. Such a misconception came to be that she hated men, that was simply not true. She just wasn't allowed to lay with them or think of them in a sexual way, but she could do anything else.

One day, she began to hunt in different islands in which she had yet to go. On one island, whose name is now forgotten in history, she found an unusual sight. The vegetation was scarce, just the basics to survive. The sun shone brightly, such a way that it burnt just being five minutes under it. The water was fierce, with the tides being as high as possible. In small words, it was just a horrible place.

She walked through the island, trying to see if she could find any animal to hunt, but instead, she saw a little cabin. It had its own garden, cattle, and even swimming pool (something Artemis hadn't seen and was intrigued by). As she went closer to the cabin, the smell of the sea hit her nostrils, making her even more curious about who or what was inside. Opening the door, she found a rather big house that took the place of the small cabin. It had modern furniture, a modern kitchen, white tiles, and blue walls. Photos of the sea adorned the house.

"It's bigger on the inside," a voice behind the goddess said, making her turn quickly to the origin of the voice. To her surprise, it was what seemed to be a teen around 16 with black hair and green eyes. He looked like her uncle Poseidon, but with regal features also. His posture made it evident that he had regal ichor running in him, making her question why he was in such an inhabitable place.

"Who are you?" Artemis asked with curiosity.

The guy looked at her strangely, measuring all of her. He had never seen such a beauty in his life; the only thing that resembled was his reflection on the water and everything inside his home.

"I'm Percy," the boy said after a while. "May I ask who you are?"

Artemis looked at him strangely. Surely everyone and everything knew who she was.

"My name is Artemis, goddess of the hunt, moon, chastity, virginity, childbirth, and nature, and one of the Olympians"

Percy interrupted before she could continue any further with her introduction. "Woah wait, you're one of the Olympians?! Like the ones who live on Olympus?"

Artemis was surprised by the boy's enthusiasm. "Yeah, I have my palace up there, although I never really spend my time there. Mostly I hunt with a group of maidens, but today I decided to come alone. How is it that you don't know this?"

Percy shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know much about the outside world. I've been here ever since I can remember, and there seems to be no way out, at least for me. I've tried to sail out of here, but I always end up here. The only way I know that the outside world exists is by the inside of my cabin."

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked

Percy stepped inside the cabin and walked towards the kitchen. Artemis stood at the entrance unsure if she was allowed to go in.

"Sorry, you can come in. Is there anything you would like to drink or eat?" Percy asked when he saw that Artemis hadn't entered.

"Some nectar would be great," she said instantly.

Percy grinned. "Well then you're in luck Lady Artemis, that's the only thing I have"

She looked weirdly at the newly found god as he served her some nectar.

"So Percy, how is it that you have all this technology? I don't think even Hephaestus has it" Artemis asked after taking a sip of her nectar.

He looked around and sighed "To be honest, most of my furniture changes ever once in a while. One morning it might look really yellow and then when I return in the evening it changed completely. As for the technology, well I just imagine what things on the outside world look like and conjure them."

"But that doesn't make any sense" Artemis interjected. "The mortal world isn't this advanced yet. They're still using metal shields instead of silk."

"I don't know either. Guess my imagination is running wild. But hey, at least it beats being bored all day," Artemis frowned at his comment.

"You don't have anything to do right?"

"Not really. There aren't many animals around here, there is nobody around here, and time passed way too slowly."

Artemis pecked up at at the last comment. "What do you mean time passes slowly here?"

"It's like a curse. Time here seems to never pass. I could literally play 7,000 rounds of Mario Kart and only a minute has passed."

Artemis didn't know what Mario Kart was, but this was no time to find out. She set her glass of nectar down and went outside. She noticed that the sun was in the exact same place that it was when she arrived on the island. Percy walked up to her and noticed her body language.

"Are you leaving?" He asked sadly.

Artemis turned around to see him looking to the ground. She stepped closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder, giving comfort to the god.

"I'm sorry, I have to," Percy looked up to her and simply nodded.

"Fine. At least let me walk you up to the dock."

"I can just flash out of here."

Percy shook his head, "I'm afraid that's not possible. I've tried multiple times, but the only way seems to be by the sea. At least that's the closest I've been to escape,"

Artemis studied Percy's face for any lies but noticed that there was none. She sighed and signaled Percy to lead the way. He took the hint and walked forward, grabbing Artemis' wrist in the process. She was about to shake it off, but then remembered that she was the only other being this god had ever met, and she didn't want to make a bad impression.

After about what seemed like fifteen minutes of walking (less than a minute in reality) they arrived at the docks. There was only one boat tied to the dock. The tides had become much calmer than when she arrived.

"Well, here it is," Percy said sadly

"I can't take this, it's your only boat" Percy put his hand up and waved it off

"Don't worry about it, I can just build another one. I have enough time to do it" he laughed. She looked at him with pity and lightly laughed at Percy's bad joke.

"Will you return?" He asked seriously.

Artemis looked at him in the eyes and nodded. "Of course I'll return."

Percy smiled, "before you go I want to give you something" he took a necklace he had on-off. It had a silver ring hanging off of it.

"I can't take this" Artemis said

"Please take it. Maybe you'll find my family in the outside world with this. And if you don't, well at least the best person in the world has it" he smiled.

Artemis looked at him in the eyes and turned around, exposing her neck. Percy put the necklace on Artemis and smiled.

"I think it's time to go," he said sadly

"Yeah" Artemis walked towards the boat, the sea the calmest she had ever seen.

She set sail towards the sea, waving her new friend goodbye as his figure became smaller and smaller until it was unrecognizable. She journeyed for several hours until she hit ashore. Wanting to just get to her palace, Artemis quickly flashed to Olympus.

As she was walking on the streets, the other gods and deities looked at her as if they were seeing a living ghost. She didn't pay mind to that, up until her brother yelled her name.

"Artemis?!" He ran towards her and hugged her. "Where have you been?!" He said as he pulled away.

"Hunting. What's the big deal? I was only gone for a couple of hours."

Apollo looked at her as if she was crazy. "Artemis, you've been gone for 200 years"


	2. Insolent people

The goddess of the hunt stared incredulously at her twin. She knew that her twin had no capability to lie, but it still seemed impossible that 200 years had passed.

"That's impossible Apollo" Artemis exclaimed "I was only gone for a couple of hours"

Apollo looked at her twin in much detail, trying to figure out where the lie was. When he couldn't detect one, he proceeded to grab her hand and lead her to his palace.

"Where are we going?" Artemis asked

"To my palace, I'm going to run some tests" Apollo replied pulling her with him. The fast pace made the already tired Artemis have a hard time following her excited twin, but she still met his steps.

Once at the palace, Apollo told Artemis to sit down in a comfortable in order for him to run a couple of tests. These varied from standard pressure measuring, ichor tests, height, and weight. Once all the basic and standard tests were done, and they're not being any abnormality, he began the neurological questions.

"Where were you these past 200 years?"

"I was at an island, but it only seemed like a couple of hours passed." The machine that was connected to Artemis turned the green light, meaning that it was a real memory, not a false perception of reality. This confused Apollo even further.

"Where is this island?" Apollo asked.

Artemis began to think, but her mind just came out blank. How had she arrived at Percy's island? She remembered going to hunt through many islands and then suddenly appearing on that strange one. There was no weird light, no weird feeling, she just appeared on it. Even if she couldn't remember how she ended up on the island, something deep inside of her told her that she would be able to return.

"I don't know" Artemis replied as a green light appeared in the machine. The god of medicine face turned sour in confusion.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

Artemis shrugged her shoulders, "I just appeared there. I'm as confused as you are Apollo"

The sun god began to think deeply about the possibilities of this scenario. It only made sense that she had actually arrived at the island and that somehow the time there was slowed down, but that wasn't possible, was it? In order for that to happen, there would need to be an external force acting on the unknown island slowing down time. This force might also be the reason why Artemis didn't know how she got there.

In order for there to be an external force upon the island, there would need to be something on the island that the force would want to protect. Or maybe, there was something on the island that the force didn't want outside of it. Another possibility would be that something on the island was actually slowing down time, making whoever lands on it a prisoner.

"Was there anybody else on the island?"

"No" Artemis replied a little too quickly. The machine beeped a red light, signaling that a lie was just told.

Apollo looked at Artemis' eyes, "Don't lie to me. Was there anybody else on the island?"

Artemis sighed in defeat, "yes, but I won't tell you his name because you might hurt him"

"Him? It's a guy?"

"Yes. He lived on the island alone, but he doesn't pose as a threat. Believe me, I would be the first one to do something against him if he was a threat"

Apollo contemplated the response his sister gave him. The guy that lived in that mysterious island could be a threat to Olympus and his sister. It was also true that Artemis was very cautious when it came to men, and if she said that the man posed no threat, then who was he to doubt her?

"Fine, I'm just glad you're ok," Apollo hugged his sister. When he pulled back, he grabbed both her shoulders "if anyone asks where you've been, always answer with a half-truth. That's the most effective of lies because you aren't actually lying."

Artemis nodded and hugged her brother one last time. She bid farewell and exited the golden palace. Things surely seemed different in the 200 years she had been absent. As she looked around, the gods had very different clothing than what she remembered. The men wore weird hats with feathers on them, and they appeared to have some kind of weird white chocker on their necks.

The women wore very long dresses. They didn't look comfortable, practical, or even very pretty at that. Artemis had a hard time trying to figure out why fashion had become this, but she wasn't going to ask Aphrodite for hindsight. The goddess of love had a tendency of being overly friendly sometimes, to the point that she could talk for hours on end.

After walking for a while around the streets of Olympus, the chaste goddess decided that it would be a good idea to return to her hunters. Using her internal tracking system, she located her hunters in Asturias, a part of northern Spain. She found it weird that her hunters were in that place, as the last time she had been with them they were in hunting in France.

She flashed to the campsite and was immediately greeted by dozens of arrows flying towards her. She easily made them disappear along with her hunters' weapons. The hunters paled when they looked at their mistress furious face and pushed the lieutenant forward for her to speak with the goddess.

"L-lady Artemis," The lieutenant said bowing at her mistress. The rest of the hunters followed their lieutenant and bowed at her mistress.

Artemis glared at every hunter, "Zoë, would you be so kind as to tell me why you and the rest of the hunters attacked your leader? Is this what you have taught the hunters in my absence?!" The lieutenant Zoë muttered something incomprehensible even with Artemis' superior listening skills. "What was that?"

"I'm sorry Lady Artemis. Please have mercy!" Zoë begged, crying. The rest of the hunters remained on their knees, crying silent tears.

"I should punish you for your insolence" Artemis began to say, nothing how Zoë's form became scared "but I won't. What you will tell me is why the Hades you are in Asturias!"

Zoë flinched and couldn't get the words out of her mouth.

Another hunter stepped up to be beside Zoë. "This is the only place in the Iberian Peninsula where there are trees still. Therefore it's the best place to hunt."

"What do you mean Phoebe? Why are you even in the Iberian Peninsula?"

"Well, after Queen Elizabeth the Catholic declared that the Moors were to be hunted down, the court of Castilla ordered all trees to be cut down so that the Moors could not hide. Asturias is the only place where the Moors never came, it stayed stable with the trees it already had. We've been here ever since, trying not to be spotted. It has been difficult though, as without your help with the mist it is easier for the mortals to catch us. And with hunting being illegal except for the nobles, it is a life and death situation we are facing." Phoebe explained in great detail.

Artemi's face became unreadable. The huntresses looked at each other, unsure if they were safe yet. After about two minutes, Artemis began to say something.

"You are all staying at my palace in Olympus until I clear everything up. We can't afford to lose anyone of you right now. So come on, grab each other's hands." The hunters stood up and formed a circle of hands. Artemis then closed her eyes and flashed all of the hunters to her palace.

The inside of the palace remained untouched, but the smell betrayed the appearance. For a normal god or goddess, it would seem as if nobody had entered the palace in 200 years, but Artemis had heightened senses. She could tell that some male had entered her palace not even half an hour ago.

"Remember that my room is off-limits, everything else is free for you girls. Make yourselves comfortable while I serve myself some nectar." Artemis said, feeling more tired than usual after flashing her hunters.

As she served her nectar, all she could remember was the black-haired boy who lived on the island.

_"__Well then you're in luck Lady Artemis, that's the only thing I have__" _his voice replayed in her mind. Why was it that his voice replayed? It wasn't an interesting sentence, yet it remained untouched in her memory.

"Lady Artemis, there's some weird rubber thing on the center table?" Artemis heard Beatrice, one of her younger hunters, asked from another room. Her eyes widened and she ran towards the other room.

All the hunters were gathered around the table, watching the packaged rubber sitting peacefully there. Artemis noticed that there was a handwritten card beside the rubber thing.

_I don't want any nephews or nieces any time soon, so use this with your new friend. :)_  
_-Apollo _

"Why is Apollo like this?" Artemis muttered. She turned to her hunters and put the present in one of her pockets. "I'm going to summon the council for a meeting. Remember, do not enter my room"

As she walked out of her palace, she quickly noticed how simple it was compared to her neighbor, Apollo. His was a golden palace that shone brightly under the sun, while hers was simple silver with not many things surrounding it.

Artemis walked through Olympus, not paying attention to the weird look the rest of the gods gave her. It was a short walk to the throne room, and once she got there, Artemis met with the goddess who loved her the most.

"Nice to see you Artemis. Centuries have passed since I last saw a pest like you" the queen of Olympus and her father's wife, Hera, told the goddess of the hunt.

"Missed you too Lady Hera. Would it be a problem for me to call a council meeting?"

Hera looked at her in distaste and replied "you wouldn't stop if I told you that it was. But where have you been child? I was so happy when I thought you had died and would take millennia to recover thanks to the wonderful job the mortals have done of making you obsolete"

Artemis glared at her stepmother but wisely didn't reply. She took out her bow and launched an arrow to the ceiling, calling all Olympians to the throne room.


	3. Olympian meeting

As soon as Artemis released the arrow to the ceiling, the ten remaining Olympians arrived at their thrones. Many of them had anger flowing around them due to being summoned without prior consulting. Some, like Hermes, were very busy with their work and duties and didn't have time for useless meetings. Others were simply angry because they were enjoying their godly life and were interrupted abruptly. Nevertheless, all of the gods were sitting in their thrones now, all staring at the King of Gods.

"Why was this meeting called? I have to deliver a lot of mail" asked Hermes, breaking the unnecessary silence. However, Artemis noticed that the language the god of messengers had just spoken was not Greek or Latin, rather it was some kind of weird Latin mixed with many other things. Still, Artemis was able to understand it completely due to her being part of Olympus.

"It wasn't me who called it," Zeus said, freeing himself of all judgment. "Who called this meeting?"

"I did, father" Artemis spoke up as all the gods (minus Hera and Apollo) looked at her in surprise. From what Artemis could gather, the gods had not changed a lot, yet they still seemed different. Rougher and meaner it seemed. She could also sense that many of them were rather ambitious, but it didn't seem to be because of their choice. For example, Hermes was looking at various maps of new lands that had been discovered at the other side of the ocean. Poseidon looked very powerful and in control of his emotions, the first time she had seen him like that since ancient times.

"Artemis, how long has it been? Are you doing fine daughter?" Zeus asked his favorite daughter with worry in his words. Artemis smiled slightly.

"From what Apollo tells me, it has already been two hundred years. I'm doing well father, no need to worry."

Zeus let out a sigh he had been holding. "That's nice to hear. However, there must be a reason why you have called this meeting, is there not?"

Artemis nodded "Yes there is. Due to circumstances out of my control, my presence has been absent for the last two centuries. During this time, certain important events seem to have taken place in the world which has made us move from our previous location to the Iberian peninsula. I wish to know these events and the effect they have had"

"You called a meeting just for that?" Dionysus scoffed.

Artemis turned to glare at him, "Well maybe you don't care because everyone continues to drink and get drunk, but unlike you, my domains are in literal danger and they are the only ones who will continue to be threatened. War will always happen so Athena and Ares will always be in no danger of disappearing. The same goes for medicine, messages, agriculture, family...Hades, even beauty will always be important. This doesn't apply to my domains, hunting has been made illegal for the common people and nature is being threatened at incredible rates. I could fade soon if something isn't done about it."

The Olympians stared at the goddess of the hunt with pity. Silence conveyed it's the highest form in the throne room, as every god thought about the consequences of the fading of Artemis could have upon their own domains. Even Aphrodite, who is the complete opposite of the Letoid, relied on her for her own domains. Without Artemis, the whole Olympian balance would be put in jeopardy, and with it, the whole world.

"It all started with a son of Hermes named Cristoforo Colombo, or Cristobal Colón as is said here in Spanish" Athena started to explain. "He said that he could find a route to India just navigating west from Portugal. Everybody thought he was crazy because the Earth is so much bigger than what he assumed. After trying to persuade multiple people, he finally got the approval of Queen Elizabeth the Catholic, or Isabel de Castilla. Thanks to her, he navigated the sea and found land, except that it wasn't India. Instead, he found a whole new continent which we now call America. Long story short, thanks to that discovery, Spain is now the biggest empire of the world and due to this, the flame of the west has moved and now we're here."

The explanation continued until Artemis had no more questions that needed to be answered. She finally understood the reason as to why she had been feeling so weak lately, and how her absence had made it easier for the crowns to meddle with her domains.

After a little while, Zeus decreed the meeting over and the Olympians left the Throne Room, with the exception of Zeus and Artemis.

"Are you going to tell me where you have been all these years?" Zeus asked his daughter

"I was in an island hunting. I met someone there and got distracted with the time" Artemis replied blushing at the last part.

"Was this someone perhaps a boy?" Zeus asked mischievously

"Yeah, he's really nice" Zeus laughed and Artemis glared. "What?"

"Nothing Artemis, I'm just happy to see you like this. I trust your judgment when it comes to that type of thing, and I wish nothing more than your happiness."

Artemis got up her throne, walked towards her father and engulfed him in a tight hug. When she let go, she pecked him in the cheek and smiled.

"I love you, dad. Thank you for always being there for me"

"Anything for you Artemis. You're the light of my life, remember that. No matter what, I will die before I let anything bad happen to you." He hugged her one last time "I missed you, my daughter"

"I missed you too, dad"

After her emotional time with her father, Artemis returned to her hunters in her palace. She gathered each and every one of them and began to hunt like she had done days before on her end, but centuries for her hunters. They viciously attacked any monsters they saw and rarely missed an opportunity to be on the move. Their limited area of available forest hunting ground made it difficult for them to practice their stamina, but they made up for it by rarely staying put in one encampment for more than a day.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, until suddenly it had been years since Artemis had gone missing. She was enjoying her life with her hunters, but there was a little part of her who wanted to go back to the uncozy island she had found some years past. More importantly, she wished to see the boy who lived on the island one last time. Every time she thought of him, the necklace he had given her got a little warmer as if saying that he was still waiting for her return.

After twenty years of the same routine, Artemis decided to go back to the island in which she had gone _missing_ for several centuries. It took a lot of courage from Artemis part to finally decide that she wanted to return to the island. First of all, she had to gather her hunters and explain where she was going. After pondering about it for days, the chaste goddess finally decided to tell the hunters that she was going on a solo hunt on an island that was very dangerous due to its deceiving aspects. '_Half-truth, just like Apollo said_' Artemis reminded herself. The hunters didn't ask her any further questions, and so Artemis was free to enjoy her "hunt".

The second problem was that the goddess had no recollection of how she had arrived at the nameless island. She couldn't ask anybody or consult her memory, she just had to trust her gut feeling. And so Artemis began to concentrate on the memory of the island. She felt herself moving to another place, only to appear the same when she opened her eyes.

"Just how the Hades am I supposed to do this?" she muttered to herself.

After thinking about it for a while, the necklace hanging from her neck began to glow lightly. The silver eyes of the goddess widened in recognition.

"Artemis, you are so stupid sometimes!" She yelled out loud. The goddess focused all her energy into the necklace and then to her memory, somehow merging the abstract concept into the physical object she had in possession.

She felt herself being lifted. No, not herself, rather her spirit leaving her body and both being transported somewhere else separately, but somehow merging when they arrived at the destination.

Her eyes opened and a bright smile appeared on her face, the brightest smile from the last ten years. Everything was the same. The same emptiness the ugly island contained stayed preserved. It looked uninviting, but there was something that brought her back, something in her unconscious mind wanted to return to the island.

"Artemis?" She turned to the voice who called her name from behind.

"Percy" Artemis smiled a white smile, expressing her happiness without the need for words.


	4. The solo lifestyle

Percy could not conceive how it was that Artemis was standing right in front of him. It hadn't been even fifteen minutes since he saw her sailing away, but now she stood smiling in front of him. Logically, there was only one explanation: Artemis was now stuck on the island forever with him.

At first, he felt happy. No longer would he have to live in solitude forever, spending every day in the swimming pool or playing video games. He could finally have somebody to share stories with, to eat with, but most importantly, somebody who could hear his problems. He wasn't thinking about anything romantic at the time, even if he did find the goddess attractive.

But then the implications of the situation dawned upon him. If Artemis couldn't leave this god-forsaken island, there was no way he could ever escape. Not only that but now his boat was gone, so he could no longer try to escape via a water route.

"How can you be here? You just left the island" Percy asked Artemis, who was smiling in front of him.

Artemis' smile turned into a frown at Percy's comment.

"No I didn't Percy, it's been twenty years since I left"

Percy stayed flabbergasted at his friend, not conceiving how time could move at such a different pace in both places. If only five minutes (or less) had passed in the island but twenty years had passed in the outside world, then how exactly was time functioning. How was it that time passed so fast in the outside world?

"Weird. Anyways, I'm really happy you're here! Maybe we could play WiiSports!" Percy said after failing to figure out how time passed so differently.

"What's WiiSports?" Artemis asked Percy.

He grinned and grabbed Artemis by her left wrist, pulling her with him. "You'll see" he simply said

It was unlike Artemis to let a man touch her, much less grab her wrist, but something about Percy made her feel so much relaxed. Thinking of him during the last twenty years had been the only thing that kept her from falling into the deep depression that was caused by the lack of domains she had. In just 200 years, mortals had managed to make her basically obsolete, to assimilate the moon with cruel beings, and even to marry at a very young age, making the number of maidens fall.

Olympians were supposed to be the most powerful gods in all of the Greek Pantheon, however, with the recent events, Artemis was beginning to be less and less powerful. She remembered when she could easily beat down Echidna. Recently, even bringing down a small pack of Hellhounds had required the help of her hunters.

Deep inside, Artemis knew that returning to the island would somehow solve her problems. Maybe it was because she would finally be forgotten by the mortals and she would get the sweet release of death, or maybe it was because being away from society would result in a cycle that would mean that mortals would start to believe in her domains once again. Whatever the reason, the goddess of the hunt had the drive to find the island without any exception.

She allowed herself to be dragged by the boy towards his home. The inside of the home had not changed at all in the twenty years she had been away, but then again, only a couple of minutes had passed on the island.

He dragged the goddess until she was standing in front of a large crystal board.

"What is this?" Artemis asked her friend as she examined the cristal board with great detail. She could see that some sort of cables seemed to be connected in the posterior part of the board. No matter how much she inspected it, the thing resembled nothing like she had seen before in her life, not even Hephaestus had such things in his palace.

"I conjured somehow. I call it the 'Pp-screen', meaning the Percy person screen" Artemis stared dumbfounded at her friend. His words entered one ear and left through the other.

"I have no idea what you just meant by that"

Percy sighed and went to grab some sort of remote. He pressed a big red button and suddenly the board emitted light and images.

"It's kinda cool, you can see fictional stories through here, but you can also play games. That's what we're going to do right now" Percy told Artemis as he crouched to set everything up. "You said twenty years passed in the outside world right?"

"That's correct" Artemis replied, not sure what her friend was going to ask next.

"Did you get a chance to figure out who my parents are?" Percy asked once he finished setting everything up, looking at Artemis intently in the eyes. She could see hope in those sea-green eyes, hope that was about to be destroyed by her one-word answer.

"No" she sighed. Percy looked down and wiped his eyes so that no tears would come out of them. "Percy, are you good?"

"Yeah I'm fine, don't worry. Let's just play Wii Sports" music played from the futuristic screen and the words _WiiSports_ was written on it.

"Great, now what exactly is this?" Artemis asked confused as she saw many different types of pictures on the screen.

Percy handed her a long white remote. "It's a game that you play through the screen. It'll give you instructions on how to play it. Now, which game would you like to start with?"

Artemis pondered for a minute as she saw the different games there were but decided with the one she knew best. "Let's do archery first"

"Bad decision but it's fine. Just remember that you chose this game"

Hours passed and both friends had the time of their lives. They played multiple sports on the Wii, and after they finished multiple rounds of all sports, they switched to different games. Artemis was surprised by the variety of different games that could be played on the Pp-screen. From war simulations to some sort of automatic chariot race, the things that could be played on the screen were limitless.

As tiredness took place on both energetic beings after so much time of playing games, Percy asked Artemis if she wanted to eat dinner with him.

The goddess thought about her answer for a second. She knew that every minute she was spending on the island, years had gone by in her actual world. At the same time, she was having so much fun with Percy that her decision was made impossible. Sure, she didn't want her hunters to be bored out of their minds at her palace, but that didn't exactly mean that she should compromise her own happiness.

"Sure, what do you have?" Artemis decided to answer. Percy grinned and walked towards the kitchen.

"Well I have maccheese, frozen pizza, chicken tenders and fries, hamburger, ingredients for grilled cheese, it's really your decision. I personally love all of them, hence why they're my only food."

Artemis had no idea what any of the foods the boy just mentioned were, so she just opted to let him decide for her. Percy nodded and began to work with the food. She watched as he put water on a metal pot and waited until it was boiling.

"I thought you only had nectar," Artemis remarked, remembering the words that were stuck in her mind for twenty years.

"To drink I only have nectar and water. Food is another deal. Everything that I like is immediately added to my stock. Nice right?" Percy stated

Artemis nodded "yeah, very nice. So wait, you only like those stuff?"

"I like the same stuff that I've liked since I was three years old, fight me" Percy answered the question

The water began to boil and Percy put the pasta in the water, continuing with the steps necessary to complete the unknown plate. She saw as Percy's smile was the brightest she had ever seen...and that's including Apollo. For some reason, Percy's smile was contagious, and the huntress found herself smiling too, not even knowing why she was doing so.

As the young teen drained the macaroni, Artemis wondered what exactly her friend was. All accounts showed that he is no mortal, but that didn't automatically discard the possibility of him being a titan. Not knowing his parents also affected her thinking because her possibilities were literally endless. He could be the son of Aether and Athena and she wouldn't be able to tell. All she could hope for was that the domains of the teen somehow mirrored, to some extent, the domains of his parents.

His looks were similar to Poseidon, the black hair and all, but his facial features didn't exactly agree with that hypothesis. She didn't know which weapon he used, but that technique for determining parents was also flawed unless he was a demigod. No matter how much she thought about it, her analysis always ended up blank.

"Done! Maccheese a la Percy. Tell me what you think!" He brought her out of her thinking by putting the plate of food in front of her and sitting down in front of her with his own plate of food.

Artemis brought the Maccheese to her mouth and tasted it. Her eyes widened and a low moan came from the goddess.

"Mmmm, Percy this is unbelievable," she said quickly eating the food without chewing it

Percy smiled and began to eat from his own plate. This was the first time in his life in which he wasn't eating alone, and it felt weird. He needed to control himself and sit up straight. Not only that, but he needed to chew his food with his mouth clothes so he wouldn't seem gross. If he seemed gross then Artemis wouldn't come back, and he wanted her to be with him as much as possible.

"What are your domains, Percy?" Artemis asked interrupting the train of thought Percy had.

"I'm supposed to have domains?"

Artemis looked at him as if he had asked the most stupid question, which wasn't far from the truth. It was one thing not to know of the outside world, but it's an entirely different story when it comes to knowing yourself.

"Yeah stupid. Every god, titan, and primordial has domains, so you should have ones" Artemis explained

"I don't know then" he frowned.

"What if I help you find out?" Artemis asked

"What do you mean?"

"Well we could either summon the fates, which I wouldn't recommend, or we could find out by observing what are you good at and your characteristics. Which would you prefer?" Artemis mentioned the options. On one hand, Percy would know for sure what were his domains, but Artemis didn't recommend that method for some reason. The other option would result in Artemis spending more time with him and getting to know him, which could be fun but also dangerous. He did not know what was going on inside his mind, and Artemis potentially being there when he found out wasn't exactly something he was looking forward to.

After examining both options, Percy spoke up with the answer. "Lady Artemis, I'm your book to read"

"Huh?"

"We're not going to summon the fates," he said after seeing Artemis questioning face. She smiled lightly, making Percy's face flush involuntary with ichor.

"Great! We can start tomorrow then. There are going to be lots of tests so be prepared for anything," Artemis said as she cleaned her dirty plate.

"Let me" Percy took the plate away from her and began to clean it himself. "I don't have a spare room, but I can show you my room. If you want, you can sleep there and I'll sleep on the sofa"

Artemis shook her head. "No, it's your home so you sleep comfortably. I'm a passing guest"

"That's exactly why you should have the bed. I'm not going to sleep on it so it's either you sleep on it or nobody sleeps on it" Artemis sighed

"I'm not going to change your mind am I?" She asked after she saw the determined face of her friend. He nodded his head and she nodded.

"Fine, show me the bedroom. But be sure to sleep well, tomorrow is going to be a long day" Artemis proclaimed

"Don't worry, I'm sure this will be the best sleep I've ever had" he said confidently

"And why is that?"

"Cause I have you to give me company, even if you are in another room"

**I'm not one for many authors' note, but I just want to say that I know nothing much happened in this chapter, but it builds upon Percy's personality. The stuff he has, what he eats, his mannerisms are all related to his domains, his parents and the reason why this will be a Pertemis. This story is more of a narrative so don't expect many fight scenes, but it will have a dynamic feel to it. You don't have to worry about that. Anyways thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed the chapter then give it a favorite or whatever. And leave a review if you can! I really enjoy reading your criticism and it helps me write the next chapters.**

**PS. I've written like 2k words so longer chapter than usual :)**


	5. Domain discovery

Percy woke up with a killing back pain. It seemed that sleeping on the couch had negative side effects on the body, even if he was an immortal. Between contemplating his pain, his will to live, and his future, it took Percy close to a minute to fully wake up.

After going to the bathroom and doing his business, Percy went to the kitchen to make his breakfast. Much to his surprise, Artemis was already there, wearing an apron and making some type of breakfast.

"About time you woke up! It's already 7 am, and we have much to do today" Artemis said as the cooking pan did a '_tsss_' sound.

"7 am?! That's the earliest I've ever woken up at" Percy said with a slight chuckle, ignoring the glare Artemis sent his way.

"Well then you better be prepared to wake up even earlier as long as I'm here"

"I thought you were only staying for today"

Artemis blushed a little before recomposing herself. "I'm staying here until you know about all your domains. So it could be only today, or it could be five months. It all depends on you"

"Great, no pressure then," Percy said as he walked towards where Artemis was making breakfast. "What are you making?"

"Pancakes. Do you like those or do you prefer something else?" Artemis asked, looking straight into the eyes of her friend.

"I love pancakes. Thank you" Percy hugged Artemis from behind, making her stiffen at his touch. Never in her millennia of being alive had someone hugged her from behind, much less a male. The closest that someone had come to that has been Apollo with his brotherly hugs, or maybe Orion when he was alive.

This hug, however, felt much different than it's predecessor. His touch made Artemis redden for unknown reasons and her breath seemed to become shorter. She tried to make the weird feeling go away, but no matter how much she tried, the feeling of the hug haunted her present. She wanted it to be over, but at the same time, she didn't want it to end. The dilemma of her feelings was just starting, but even at its beginning, it was still much stronger than desired.

After Percy let her go, Artemis finished making the pancakes, topped with some strawberries. She put both plates opposite to each other, with a glass of nectar by either side. As she sat down, Artemis noticed that Percy was looking weirdly at the plates.

"What's wrong?" She asked, worried that her cooking as not as good as she thought it was.

"Nothing. It's just, don't you want syrup and whipped cream with that?"

Artemis looked at him as if he had been speaking martian or some unknown language. "Syrup? Whipped cream?"

"Yeah, they're in the fridge. I'll get them" Percy stood up and picked up the two items he had mentioned. "You have to try them! They're really sweet and awesome!"

The goddess of the hunt looked weirdly at both containers but decided to trust Percy's judgment. As she bit a pancake containing the two sweet components, her eyes grew the size of dinner plates.

"Gods this is so good! How come you have this stuff but only have nectar to drink?"

"Bruh I don't know. My life has been a mystery. If you want, tomorrow I can make you my chocolate chip pancakes"

"Chocolate?"

"You don't know what chocolate is?" Artemis shook her head "oh I have so much to teach you. Now let's hurry up and get started with my domains"

In less than five minutes, both plates were left squeaky clean, as if two hungry piranhas had surfaced the earth. The friends decided to make the outdoor part of the domains outside, and once 11:00 am hit them they would move inside in order to prevent any discomfort the sun might give. They might've been gods, but that didn't mean that sunburn was not a thing.

They walked outside to the place where the water hit the shore. The sun wasn't too bright at that moment, something Artemis was greatly grateful for. Being the twin sister of the sun god was something that made her appreciate every moment where the sun wasn't too potent. The last thing she wanted to remember was that, unfortunately, most mortals remembered her brother much more than her.

"Alright, Percy. This might be hard the first time, but once you get the hang of it, claiming your domains should be relatively easy. Now let's start by something easy. Most gods have some domain related to the outdoors." Artemis began her introduction

"Are you sure? I don't really feel like that's true" Percy interrupted

"Yes, and if you want my help and an arrow-less chest then you won't interrupt me again" Percy nodded at Artemis' violent glare. "Anyways, in order to figure out what your domains are, you need to feel a bond with it. For example, my domain of wilderness makes it possible for me to have direct authority over wild animals. So, if you ever see a deer attack you, it's because I sent it. Same goes to your domain, you should feel tied to it"

"Great, how can I do that?"

"Well first you have to close your eyes and let your soul be independent of your body"

Percy looked at the goddess as if she had just taken some kind of mushroom. How was he supposed to feel his soul independent from his body? Just by the basics of it, if he had a soul that could be separated from his body, it would mean that his body was not his forever. Theoretically, it meant that his soul could find another body that it felt more in sync to and be bound to it thereafter.

While he didn't particularly understand what Artemis had told him to the fullest extent, Percy closed his eyes and concentrated on his surroundings. The sun burned his skin and the fact that there was no shade made him irritable. There were no animals that calmed him nor was there a special kind of wind that flowed through the island.

Just as he was about to call the domain seeking to an end, he felt himself levitating off the ground. Nervous, the 16-year-old god opened his eyes, when he found himself looking directly at his body from above. He tried to move his arms but they didn't obey his commands. He noticed how his calm breaths turned nonexistent and how his body fell onto the ground as if he had just fainted.

"Percy!" He saw Artemis run towards his lifeless body. She checked his pulse and her face turned even more panicked. "Apollo! Please help!" The goddess yelled at the sky. Seconds passed and nobody seemed to come.

"Stupid island" she muttered to herself.

Percy was having a hard time looking at his friend suffering because of him, so he decided to focus on the task at hand and then help his friend. After all, he could return to his body once his task was completed...he thought. In reality, there was no guarantee that he could return to his body once he found out what his domain was, but it was his only option as of now.

He concentrated on his surroundings and noticed that the tides seemed to become more violent. Six feet waved hit the shore in a violent way, each more potent than the last.

"Maybe if I..." Percy began to say as he thrust his hands in direction of the waves. He focused on the current underneath the water surface and how they affected the waves. Using his gut feeling, he calmed himself down, which in turn made the tides calm themselves.

Still, the tides hadn't calm themselves fully. No matter how much he tried, the tides were still not as serene as he wanted.

"Why is this happening?" he asked himself, using all of his power to calm the reckless tides.

"It has to do with your girlfriend over there," an old voice said from behind him. Percy turned around and came face to face with three rather old ladies. They all were knitting some kind of sock, using a yarn that glowed with power. The silver hair in their heads made the old women look much more intimidating than if they had it any other color, say blonde for example.

"Who are you?" Percy asked a little scared of the three figures that just appeared out of nowhere.

The one in the middle spoke up. "We are the Fates, and we are here to list you your domains"

Percy could not believe what he had just been told. According to his friend Artemis, summoning the fates was very dangerous, but here they were volunteering to help him out. Truly, there must've been some kind of trap behind their words. Some hidden scheme that would result in his demise.

"You're here, just to help me? Why?"

"Your path has been a difficult one young Perseus. Even if you are the oldest god born from other gods, you are still the youngest physically and mentally. Due to the paranoia from your fellow god, you have been sentenced to live here for all eternity, or until you have courted a member of the Olympian gods. In addition to that, you must find out all your domains before being able to aid the Olympians in the upcoming Titan War." the one in the left said

"Wait wait recap. You are telling me that I have been stuck here because an Olympian decided I was too dangerous for society? And not only that, but that I actually have to aid them in an upcoming war?"

"And that you have to court an Olympian in order to escape this prison, yes."

"So in other words, I'll just have to stay here for all eternity"

"Not quite. We cannot explain it any further, but from what we can tell you, Artemis is here for a reason."

Before Percy could ask what the Moirai meant with the statement, the Fates began to glow a strong silver color. It was so strong that the young god had to avert his eyes in order to not end up blind for the rest of eternity.

"Perseus, son of Hera and Poseidon, heir to the Olympian throne and to the throne of Atlantis, you have been assigned the domains of Tides, Childhood, Technology, Hospitality, Feelings, Secrets, Humor, Sacrifice, and Time."

"However, there is still one domain you must discover for yourself with the help from your girlfriend"

"She is not my girlfriend" Percy muttered, oblivious to the looks the fates were sending him.

"It does not matter. We bid you farewell Perseus"

"This will not be our last encounter"

"You will need our guidance for the future"

"But until then, you have to work on your own"

The three fates glow seized to exist until only Perseus was left floating in the air. He looked around and noticed that the sun had moved quite a lot, meaning that quite a few hours had passed.

"Well, I have to get back to my body now"

Percy roamed the island in search of either his body or Artemis. Time passed by and the god of tides became very impatient. It was nearly impossible for his body and for Artemis to disappear from his island. First of all, it wasn't that big of an island, so he should've seen them by now. Secondly, this was HIS island. he knew every corner, every tree, every rock, every gram of bone that was scattered throughout the island. It was more than unlikely for him to not notice anything different, especially his own body.

After what seemed like days for Percy, he finally found his target. Artemis had dry tears on her cheeks while his body sat on some kind of wood. She put two drachmas on the eyes and began to make a prayer of some kind. Percy instantly knew what was going to happen, and so he rightfully panicked.

"No, wait! Fuck I have to get inside my body, like, now!" Percy said quickly as he touched his body, only for his arm to pass right through his physical self. "Don't cremate me yet!"

He then tried to accommodate himself in the position his body was, but he just passed right through it. This occurred some five times until Percy finally realized that it was not going anywhere.

Thinking about the ways he could come back to his body, only one seemed to be the one that could work. It was a hard procedure and probably would result in either his complete demise in part of the fates or some other consequence which he couldn't think of at that moment.

Percy focused on his body, feeling the slight existing connection to it. Then, he remembered the exact moment where he got separated from his physical being. Having that memory present in his mind, he created some sort of bubble force around him and his body, making time turn back inside the bubble, up until the exact moment where he got separated. Once at that moment, he willed time to stop. As it stopped, he felt himself becoming one with his body once again.

"So this is cool," Percy said as he entered his body. Once situated in his body, he willed time to continue at the same pace and at the same time that the outside of the bubble had been passing.

Percy opened his eyes and sighed a sigh of relief. No longer was his body in danger of being incinerated.

And that's the moment when he felt the heat rise up his pants. He looked down and noticed that his pants were catching on fire, along with his whole lower half.

"Aaaaaaah! Fire! Fire! Put it out!" Percy yelled as he got off the board of wood he was laying on.

"Percy?" Artemis asked, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"Yes! Now save me, please! If I wasn't dead then I'll be dead now because of the fire AAAA!" Percy began to roll on the ground, trying to put the fire out. It wasn't until Artemis brought a bucket of water from the ocean that the boy finally could breathe normally.

"Percy, are you alive?" Artemis asked cautiously, not sure if her emotions or her mind were playing tricks on her.

"Alive but not well Lady Artemis. Now if you'll help me, let's go to the cabin before this heat becomes my second death of the day."


	6. The big L

Perseus winced in pain as the auburn haired goddess rubbed some sort of lotion on his legs. Burning was a new sensation for the young god, and as far as he was concerned, it was not one which he wanted to repeat ever again. Yes he had gotten sunburned before, it was inevitable when he lived on such an island.

But being burned was different than sunburned. Not only it ached, it made the skin actually blister and become, for a lack of a better word, gross. Just watching his legs made Perseus want to puke. The yellow pus flowed from the big red bubbles of pain. Then there were some parts with his leg being some sort of 'brownish' or 'blackish' tone, which only meant that it had more contact with the fire than the others.

All in all, Perseus' legs looked like the mess of the century. If he had been a mortal, his recovery would be based on an amputation and the therapy that comes after that. Thankfully, Perseus was a god, a strong god at that. He could manage the pain with great ease.

Or so Artemis thought. As soon as she began to rub the lotion on his leg, Perseus screamed and convulsed as if he was being killed in the most painful way in existence. The goddess got very scared, but soon realized that her friend was just making a big show out of his pain. She stopped rubbing the lotion and just put her hand very close to his skin, yet he still cried and screamed.

"Oh shut up, I'm not doing anything" Artemis said irritated. As soon as her words came out, Perseus opened his eyes wide and blushed in embarrassment. And so, as Artemis rubbed the lotion on his legs while Perseus only winced in his pain.

After about twenty minutes of treating his burns, the goddess of the hunt went on to prepare food for the both of them. The only problem was that she had no idea how to make any of the foods that were on the kitchen, aside from pasta, and being honest, she wasn't in a mood for that.

"Hey Perseus, how do you cook these frozen pizza's"? Artemis asked from the kitchen.

Perseus tried to move towards the kitchen but was unable to put any weight on the lower side of his body. "You just follow the instructions on the carton. There's a microwave in the kitchen" he yelled from the sofa he was laying on.

"What's a microwave?"

"It's like a metal box with numbers. You just put the number the carton indicates and press enter. Then, at that time, the pizza will be ready"

"Got it. It couldn't have been that hard if you were able to do it" Artemis smirked at her comment, not really caring if her friend could not see her face.

"Hey! I'm only average intelligence, not stupid"

Artemis went from the kitchen and sat on the couch, putting Perseus head on her thighs. "That was before I arrived here. Now that it's only us, you're below the average intelligence by default"

Perseus frowned and replied "shit that's true"

"Of course it's true, my logic never fails" Artemis said as she groomed Perseus short hair. Being wavy and very unruly, it was very hard to groom. She was never a fan of how he styled his hair, or rather the lack of style he had. Not being on the outside world surely had an effect on his physical self.

Perseus looked up and met Artemis silver eyes. He loved how her hand felt on his head and he wished she never stopped playing with his hair.

"Thank you" he said as he looked seriously at Artemis

"Why are you thanking me?"

"Because you're taking care of me. You could've left when you first came here you returned. You could've left yesterday yet you chose to help me with my domains and everything. And even now, you're taking care of me in this situation. Been here alone all my life has really made me kind of strong headed, or so I like to believe. I thought that I didn't need anybody to survive. And that was true, I didn't need anybody to survive.

"But it's another thing survival and actually living. The first time you were here doesn't really count, but since you have returned, my life has changed. Time has been passing normally and I've been able to enjoy everything. Even now that I'm in a lot of physical pain, you being here really makes me happy. And the fact that you're taking care of me just really shows how great of a friend you are. Just by being here you've made my life actually worth something. You're the reason why I'm living, I realize that now"

"Percy" Artemis began to say

"No wait, don't interrupt me. Before you came, I was just a boy that was abandoned by his parents, left to rot in a cursed island. Now, even if my past or surroundings haven't changed, I still feel like I am a whole different person. You literally led me to find out my domains, you introduced me to the idea of outside people and that I could be happy with someone else. So yeah, just thank you so much for randomly popping on this horrible island. Bet that shows that sometimes unplanned occurrences make the best times"

Artemis was left without words. Thankfully, before she could even think about what to reply, the microwave beeped with the hot pizza inside it. She quickly got up, putting Perseus head down carefully, and went on to serve the pizza.

She placed both plates on the center table, close enough so the unmovable god could reach his plate. She then sat on the floor, so that the plate was on the table and it would be easier to eat.

"Could you pass me the remote?" Percy asked after taking a bite

"What are we going to play?" Artemis asked passing the remote

"We're not going to play anything. I mean technically we're going to play a movie"

Artemis raised an eyebrow "what's that?"

"It's like reading a book, except you use less of your imagination and it's more fun"

Artemis was never really a fan of books. The only good book in her opinion was the Iliad, and it didn't even have a good ending! They could've changed the real life version and written that Troy had won. Seriously, the troyans weren't saints, but the Greeks were so savage against the women it made her sick. It was a curious phenomena that the Greeks even worshiped her, considering that they could've just praised another god into being the god of the hunt, just like the Romans did with her and Selene.

"Alright, ill trust you Perseus" Artemis told Perseus

"I liked it when you called me Percy" Perseus murmured

"What?" Artemis said after not listening very well what the god had said

"Nothing. Anyways, which one would you rather watch? Hercules, Mulan, Shrek, or Tangled?"

"You do realize I have no idea what any of them are, well except Hercules, and I'm not in the mood to watch him right now. So I guess Tangled? But we can watch the other ones afterwards" Artemis said

Perseus nodded and put the movie Tangled on. They both watched in silence, munching on their respective pizza slices. Occasionally, when the movie broke into a song, Perseus began to sing along, which made Artemis laugh at him. He simply ignored his friend and continued with his singing. As the movie went on, Perseus could only sympathize with Rapunzel, as she couldn't leave her tower until someone else arrived and helped her see the world.

That was exactly what had transpired with Artemis. He was stuck on this island with no idea how the outside world was. Then, his knight in shinning armor (well, more like his huntress in silver tunic) arrived at his house and offered him a new world view. Not only that, but according to the fates themselves, Artemis was the one who could free him from his prison.

That was another thing that bothered him. According to the fates, he would need to court an Olympian in order to escape from his island prison. The only Olympian he knew as of now was Artemis, and he would be lying if he said that he didn't find her attractive, but courting her just seemed like he was taking advantage of her. But was it really taking advantage if he wanted her even if it meant he had to stay in the prison forever?

Perseus did not know what love was, but he guessed it was a feeling of extreme care towards another person. Every movie he had contained some sort of love, but that was the closest thing to the real feeling that he felt. When Artemis arrived to his island, however, he felt so nervous and happy at the same time. On her first time here he was just nervous, and time seemed to just pass on slowly. But then the second time she came, time passed on flying. To him, it seemed as if she had arrived just a second ago. Even with his suffering, time flied when he was with her.

Before he knew it, the movie ended and Artemis was taking the plates to the sink. Percy sighed in defeat, not knowing what he should do in his situation. Sure, he could court Artemis by force, but that wasn't really a very good option. In a perfect world Perseus would just ask her to marry him, she would say yes, and they would love together forever and the end. But they did not live in the perfect world. The reality was very far from it.

Artemis returned from the kitchen and sat on the couch, once again putting his head on her lap.

"I liked the movie" she said breaking the silence

Percy smiled "that's great, which one was your favorite part?"

"I liked when they were both singing in the river, with the lights and all"

Perseus raised his eyebrows "really? I never pictured you as the romantic type"

Artemis smiled "not usually, but being next to someone who makes me feel that way helped me see the scene in all of its beauty"

They both stared at each other's eyes, daring their counterpart to say something. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but in the span of two hours, the friends had confessed their feeling towards one another.

"So umm" Percy cleared his throat

"Oh umm, guess discovering your domains wasn't the best idea" Artemis said

"Actually, I already know what they are"

"Really how?"

"The fates visited me. They told me everything I need to know about myself"

"The fates visited you? Guess you're more special than I thought" Artemis said as she touched Percy's hair

"Yeah, turns out I am Perseus, son of Hera and Poseidon, heir to the Olympian throne and to the throne of Atlantis, assigned the domains of Tides, Childhood, Technology, Hospitality, Feelings, Secrets, Humor, Sacrifice, and Time. So in other words, I am a badass"

Artemis stared blankly at her friend. "Hera and Poseidon? You sure?"

Percy nodded his head "yeah, unless the fates got confused"

Artemis shook her head "no, they're never wrong on those things"

"Oh, and also I learned that I have been stuck on this island because an Olympian decided I was too dangerous for society. And that I actually have to aid y'all in an upcoming war"

"Another war? Do you know who it is against?"

"They said that it was the upcoming titan war, whatever that means" Artemis face paled

"How are you supposed to aid us if you can't leave here?" Artemis asked

"There is actually a way I can escape. I just have to marry an Olympian"

Artemis stared at her friend, thinking deeply about what this new discovery meant. True, he did not say he had to marry her in specific, but out of all of her fellow Olympians, she was the best choice. Plus not that she'd ever admit it, but the thought of him marrying someone else made her sick on the stomach.

"Then marry me" Artemis said before thinking the extent of her request

"W-what?" Percy asked

"You need to marry an Olympian and there aren't many options. Plus, if you can get out of here then you would be able to explore the rest of the world and then, eventually...meet the woman who you'd have kids with" Artemis explained, struggling on the last part.

Percy laughed "bro, I would never cheat on my wife. Those aren't my values"

"I would understand. So Percy, marry me"

"No Artemis. I won't marry you just so I can escape. You deserve much more than that. You deserve someone who can give you all, and I'm far from it."

"But-"

"My answer is no, Artemis. Find someone who you can depend on, not someone you should help out."

Artemis stared heartbroken at the green eyes of Perseus. She could not believe what had just happened. She had asked for marriage. And not only that, but she was actually rejected.

"I have to go. You're almost as good as new, just rub some lotion or nectar on your legs and you'll be good as new before you even know it" Artemis said quickly, getting up and speed walking towards the door.

Percy stared at the entrance of his home. His only friend had just left, probably forever, from his life. "Well, I sure messed everything up"

Artemis ran to the shore, where the same boat from which she had left the last time was tied at the dock. She quickly untied it and set sail out of the island. The violent tides pulled her to the island, but after much maneuvering, she was able to exit the cursed island.

After about an hour or two, Artemis arrived at the shores of Sardinia. She sighed in relief and flashed herself to her room at her palace.

In there, all the feelings she had bottled up exploded, making the goddess cry heavily over her friend. Not only had she abandoned her lifestyle and principles, but she was actually rejected after doing so.

Maybe the reason why she had made her oath when she was little was because, subconsciously, she always knew that she was unlovable.


	7. Twinsknowbest

Artemis cried more than a child who has just lost his mother. Every time she thought she was done crying, the image of Perseus rejecting her just came back to life. It replayed on her mind like crazy, as if it was the only thing that she remembered.

After an hour or so, Artemis calmed down and stopped hugging her pillow. She got up her bed and into her bathroom, drying her eyes and washing her face. When she was finished, it was almost unnoticeable that the goddess of the hunt had been crying for so long. But it wasn't totally unnoticeable. For the experienced eye or someone very close to the goddess, the crying clues were as clear as day light.

When Artemis flashed to the outside of her palace, she oddly met with Apollo.

"Oh sh- you startled me Artemis. Wait, were you crying?" He asked after jumping back in surprise at the sudden appearance of his twin

"Apollo, can we talk in private?" Artemis asked in a hushed tone

"Of course, lets go inside your palace"

Artemis shook her head "no, my hunters are staying in there. Could we talk in yours?"

"Sure, lets go" Apollo said, walking towards his palace.

Due to the way Olympus was planned out, the twin palaces were not far apart from each other. That meant that the gods arrived at the others palace in less than ten minutes.

Apollo's palace was very bright and golden, almost as if he wanted to compensate for something. It was very big and luxurious, seemingly as if he had just won some type of big money and wanted to assert his dominance at Olympus. Compared to Artemis palace, his was a little too extravagant. The goddess palace was a simple silver color and not as luxurious. It had much outdoor spaces, but still lacked the cockiness her twins palace contained.

"Before you come in, let me just warn you that I haven't cleaned up in a while" Apollo said before opening his door.

To describe the inside of Apollo's palace as messy would be lying and deceiving Olympus health department. So much trash was thrown on the floor, pieces of uneaten apples were rotting on the floor, and worse of all, many erotic magazines and tissues laid all over the floor.

"This is the most disgusting room I have ever seen in my life" Artemis said bringing her hands to her mouth, trying not to puke at the smell the room had.

"Yeah sorry, I haven't cleaned up since Wednesday"

"And today is..."

"Friday. What's your point?"

Artemis had to go outside to catch her breath before entering once again at the dump that was her brothers palace.

"Do you have a room that is less dirty?"

"Yeah, my patients room. Gosh would you imagine the amount of lawsuits that would follow if my patients had to be treated in a place like this? Thousands!"

"Ok whatever Apollo, lets just go there and chat" Apollo put a hand on Artemis shoulder and flashed the two of them to the medical room. The air smelled clean, no perfume could be detected. As cold as the room was, Artemis did not feel any change in temperature due to her godly powers.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Apollo asked, sitting down on his chair

"How do you deal with heartbreak?" Artemis asked her twin in a hushed tone

Apollo's eyes widened before replying "it just goes away with time. Why? What happened?"

Artemis explained everything, from her playing Wii with Percy all the way to the part where she actually proposed marrying him. No detail was spared, and needless to say that the sun god was very surprised at the great amount of information he had just been given. His twin was not a woman who would just ask anybody to marry her. On the contrary, if she could disband marriage as a whole, there was no doubt that she would.

"Why do you act so different over there than here?" Apollo asked, not even attempting to answer Artemis initial question

Artemis raised her eyebrow "what do you mean?"

"Well, from what you tell, you act really friendly with this boy just because you feel like it. Meanwhile here, no offense, but you act like a cold heartless bitch. That's part of the reason why nobody missed you when you went missing."

"Could you refrain from making me mad while I'm dealing with stuff here?!" Artemis yelled at her twin.

Apollo's face morphed from neutral to angry. His face reddened and his knuckles turned white from the force he was doing. "Artemis, get out before I do something I'll regret"

"No wait, Apollo, you have to-"

"Get out!"

Artemis did not need to be told a third time. She quickly got up her chair and walked all the way to her palace, not looking back at her brother. On the way to her palace, the moon goddess tried to understand her brothers behavior. It was unnatural the way he had overreacted over her slightly yelling at him. After all, they yelled at each other all the time. Yet something about the conversation made him inexplicably mad at her.

Suddenly, an idea passed through the silver eyed goddess mind. 'What if he was jealous?' She thought. But why would he be jealous of a boy she had just met?

Somehow, Artemis knew that Apollo's outrage didn't manifest due to jealousy. If that was the case then he wouldn't have left a condom on her palace.

The mystery of Apollo's sudden change of demeanor remained unsolved to Artemis, but she decided that she wouldn't give it more mind than it deserved. All she needed was to calm herself down and try to forget the rejection her friend told her.

And so the silver eyed goddess decided to go on a hunt with her hunters. She sped up the pace towards her palace (where she had left the hunters last time) in order to pick them up and go hunting. When she arrived, the huntresses looked up curiously at the goddess, as if they had not expected her to show up.

"Milady, did you forget something for your hunt?" The lieutenant stepped forward and asked the goddess.

Artemis looked at her weirdly, "No, I finished it"

"That has got to be a new record Milady! It's the fastest you have ever hunted" Phoebe said from the couch

"I guess...how long was I gone?"

"Around 45 minutes Milady" Atalanta, a daughter of Apollo, replied

Artemis stared absentmindedly towards her hunters. Thousands of thoughts ran through her mind at the same time. It seemed impossible that less than 45 minutes had passed in this realm when a day and a half had passed on the island. Last time she had spent less than five hours on the island, yet 200 years had passed in her world. How was it possible that time in the island had its own way of moving?

The goddess of the hunt shook her head of the number of thoughts that plagued her mind, deciding that it was better to talk about them with Apollo once his mood brightened. Instead, she decided to hunt with her hunters in order to keep her mind busy, and eventually to forget all about the rejection. Theoretically, the goddess was supposed to turn all of her anger towards drive to complete her hunts.

The case though, was much different from that. Years passed and Artemis hunt began to turn less demanding, most of them being very close to Olympus just so once they finished, the goddess could go and mope around on her palace. Many hunters took notice of the mood change their mistress experienced, but none of them had the guts to question her on it.

Two hundred years had passed since Artemis last went to the unnamed island with only one resident. The goddess wanted to return to the ugly island prison, yet she didn't want to face the man who had rejected her so many years ago. She pondered about it for many years, and decided that it was better is she talked to her most trusted friend and hope that she would receive some good advice.

The auburn haired goddess walked from her palace to the golden one. For two hundred years, her brother's palace had not changed much. Only thing that had been updated were the number of gargoyles that he had added to the roof and columns of his palace. Aside those, the palace still shone brightly, probably blinding any mortal who wanted to witness it.

Artemis knocked three times, waiting for several seconds for the door to open. With her heightened hearing, she could hear running and shuffling on the inside of the palace.

"Coming!" She heard Apollo yell from the inside of the house

Artemis may have been a chaste goddess, but that didn't mean that she was stupid enough not to know what her brother was doing and why he had taken so long to answer the door.

Around two minutes passed when the sweaty form of Apollo opened the door.

"Artemis! You caught me kind of in a bad time-"

"Oh please, this smells stinks like Aphrodite, and if I know her well, she has already flashed out of here. You're going to be able to fool around with her later today probably, but I need to talk with you about something. So please get dressed, I don't want to be seeing my twin like that" Artemis said as she covered her eyes in the most dramatic way possible

"Alright alright, I'll cover up" in a quick flash, Apollo stood dressed in the uncomfortable clothing that was common for the high class of the eighteen century. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know if I should return to the island with Perseus" Artemis finally said, bowing her head in shame

"Oh, why do you want to return?"

"I miss being with him. Sure, the hunters are great company, but they're not really friends. They're more like my own personal soldiers. I mean, they think of us as family, but it's still weird. But with Percy everything is so fun. Our talks are interesting, the stuff on his house are awesome, and even his foods are really tasty. And ever since I left, I've been unlike myself. All I want to do is return, yet I find myself scared of doing so. Apollo, please help me"

Apollo grabbed his twins hands and held them supportively. "Artemis, when something has been bothering you for more than three years, usually it's your heart telling you something. I understand that you feel like you might be embarrassed, but don't be. You're so beautiful that any guy would be lucky to have you, ok? If he didn't, then it's his bad that he gets stuck on the island alone for all eternity. You did all you could Artemis, so stop blaming yourself. If it's in your control, then take control of it. If it's out of your control, then there's nothing you can do about it so don't be stressed over it."

"But that's the thing. I know that I can help him escape, but I also feel like I want him to escape the island more than he does. Hades, I was even open to be married to him just for him to escape, but he said no. The stupid moron said no"

Apollo thought about what his sister had just told him, when suddenly everything clicked. "Artemis, why was the reason why he said he didn't want to marry you?"

"Something about him depending on me" Artemis muttered

"Artemis you're such an idiot!" Apollo exclaimed

"Excuse me?"

"He didn't reject you because he didn't like you. He rejected you because he didn't want to marry you just so he could use you. He wants you to marry someone who can help you, but he thinks he is not that person. Artemis, the guy likes you"

"No, he's just a friend Apollo" Artemis denied the claim

"Artemis think about it. If he was just a friend, he would've just accepted your proposal and there would be hundreds of little Perseus demigods, because he wouldn't feel bad cheating on you. Yet, because he liked you, he rejected you because he knew that not only he was going to use you, but that you wouldn't return his feelings back. So, by rejecting you, he was actually protecting both of you from being harmed in the future. Wow, I should be a psychologist" Apollo said grinning

"Wait, he likes me?" Apollo nodded

"Yep, and from the looks of it you like him too"

At that statement, the goddess of the hunt got up and raised her hands in a defensive position.

"Wo ho ho, hold your horses. I do not like him"

"Oh please cut the crap Artemis. You're lying to the god of truth and your twin brother"

"But I swear I do not like him" Artemis screamed

"Maybe you don't know that you like him yet. Being the goddess of maidens and chastity might have kept your feelings in the dark, but feelings are stronger than they appear. Trust me Artemis, once you see him again after I told you all of this, your mind will open up to the feelings inside your heart." Apollo stood up and put a hand on his twins shoulder. "Now go get him tiger"

Artemis smiled and hugged her brother, before flashing to the nearest beach. There, she redid what had been done the second time she visited the island. The necklace lead Artemis body to the island, where nothing had changed at all. The goddess ran upon arrival towards the house, where her friend laid.

Opening the door, Artemis quickly found Percy laying on the couch, silent tears coming out his eyes. He laid unaware that she had just entered the house.

"Are you crying?" She asked walking towards the body of her friend

"Artemis...no, I was just sweating through my eyes"

Artemis chuckled "that is the lamest excuse ever Inbred boy"

"No it's-wait, who ware you calling inbred?"

"You of course. If what you said is true, then your parents are brother and sister" Percy turned green at the explanation

"Gross! Ew! Blegh!!"

"You're so overreacting" Artemis said, touching Percy's hair

"Easy for you to say, your parents weren't brother and sister"

"No, but I think they were cousins"

"Totally not the same thing. Cousins are bad, but siblings is wrong dude. I can accept cousins cause more than half of the pantheon is related to each other, but siblings are off limits"

"You're such a drama king Percy" Artemis kept styling Percy's hair. The both of them sat staring at each other's eyes for a while, before Percy began to talk.

"I thought you were going to leave"

"I did leave" Artemis replied "for 200 years"

"Oh" was all Percy replied. He could not believe that it had taken her 200 years to remember that he existed, that she was going to visit him. Did he mean nothing to her? Clearly not as she had asked for marriage, but did he mean as much as she meant to him? Probably not. "It has only been a couple of minutes here"

Artemis stared curiously at Percy "that doesn't make any sense Percy. When I was here last time, less than 45 minutes passed on the outside world. But now, 200 years passed outside and only a couple of minutes passed here? It doesn't make sense!"

"Yes it does" Percy said, receiving a raised eyebrow look from Artemis. "When you're here, time passes by really fast because I'm having fun and enjoying. But, as soon as you leave, time seems to stand still because I'm bored out of my mind. It's the only thing I can think of, because I'm the god of time so that makes sense."

"So theoretically I could pass a lot of time here and not so much time would've passed outside?" Artemis asked as Percy nodded. "Then it seems like I'm going to be making many frequent visits here" Artemis pecked Percy on the cheek.


	8. Headopen

Time is a very complex subject. To explain its course is a fairly easy task, that is until the fact that it flows differently in two places is taken into account. If we were talking that decades passed in the natural world, it would be implying that centuries have passed in the island, but at the same time only few minutes have passed.

It's all subject to the point of view of who we are talking about. It would take a whole book just to explain the logic behind time alteration between places, and that is not where the priority is at.

Five hundred years had passed in Artemis perception of time. Five hundred years of combined friendship and hunt quests. Five hundred years of getting to know her friend in a deeper level. But most importantly, five hundred years of Artemis breaking down her barriers and allowing herself to feel as a woman is born to do.

Although five hundred years had passed in Artemis perception, only around two hundred had passed in the natural world. The world had changed much since the eighteenth century Spanish colonial era. The flame of the west had moved the Greek pantheon to the United States, making it the first time the gods had moved outside of Europe. Her domains had strengthened as there were many forest for the hunt to manifest itself, and even though the forest were being cut down, many national parks were protected by the central government, which made her important to their society.

During the five hundred years that Artemis had passed, she and Percy became even closer than best friends. They told each other everything, joked about everything, and even cooked each other meals. Artemis had taken Percy under her wing and began to teach him all about their world. The boy already knew the basic things, but many other important details and deities were left out from his mental encyclopedia.

From titans to dryads, Percy learnt the name of every being and it's role in the world. He learnt that Apollo was very annoying, that Athena was also very annoying, and that Zeus was the kind of dad who would give Artemis everything.

When he learnt about his parents, Perseus could not help but feel mad at them. He was the first son of both of them, yet they had forgotten about him as soon as he was banished. The god of tides constantly asked Artemis to let him know if his parents ever talked about him or made any effort to try to contact him. As time passed by, he got used to the negative response his friend always seemed to carry.

As a thanks towards Artemis for teaching him all about their world, Percy decided to teach Artemis all about the technology he possessed. The way he explained everything was fairly interesting, but nothing compared to the lessons Artemis gave him.

In every story Artemis told Perseus about the Greek heroes, he noticed how all of them used a weapon. Recalling even further, he noticed that every deity had some sort of weapon that helped them in their task, or simply for self defense. Even Artemis had her bow and her hunting knives.

And so, Perseus decided that he should try to get a weapon for himself. At first, Artemis lent him her bow to figure out if he would be using a long range or a short range weapon. After Percy successfully shot Artemis (who was standing behind him) in the calve, they both decided that it would be a much better idea for him to obtain a short range weapon. He tried knives, machetes, scythes, but in the end, the good old sword was the weapon for him.

After obtaining a weapon, Artemis and Percy began to train every day for around three hours minimum. They both improved greatly, giving advice to the other so it could be an even harder fight the next time. In less than ten years, both of the gods were killing machines. Nothing could stop them except each other, but that didn't seem to have any plans on occurring.

Since Artemis had returned that third time, the both of them had been more aware of each other's feelings. Even though officially they were only best friends, they both knew that they were already in a relationship. The affection was very present, it was noticeable that they were 'something'.

"Percy, the war between Zeus children and Hades kid is getting out of control. Not many deaths have occurred in the US, but millions have died in Europe. Both Zeus kid and Hades kid have concentration camps and Poseidon kid is trying to save England I think...it's a mess. I have never seen a war this big Percy, it actually scares me" Artemis hugged Percy. The Second World War had been going on for about four years, and it only seemed to get worse and worse.

Percy held Artemis close to him. "Don't worry Artemis, it's gonna stop soon. Worse comes to worst, you always have this lovely prison as your home"

"I'm not declining your kind offer, but I really think we should focus on this. It has been really bad, but somehow I think that it's gonna become so much worse. We thought that the worst the demigods could do was the civil war, when the Romans and Greeks began to have their petty fighting, but this is much different. All of them are Greeks for gods sake! They're fighting for power, but they don't realize how many innocent people they're killing"

"Wouldn't it be better if the big three abstained from having children? It seems that every conflict is because of them...or they at least take a big part of each and every one of them"

"That would be much better, but what are you going to do? Even if they make an oath not to have any more children they'll still break it. They're men after all"

"I think you're exaggerating Arty"

Artemis got up from their embrace "I swear. In fact, I bet you fifty drachmas that if they ever make an oath not to have any more children, at least one of them will break it"

Percy pondered about the bet, and finally decided to accept "deal. By what you told me, I don't even think that they'll make such an oath"

"Probably not" Artemis said shrugging her shoulders

"let's go watch Tarzan" Percy suggested

"I'm sick of Phill Collins singing. Can't we watch another?"

Percy glared at Artemis "we are going to watch Tarzan"

"I don't want to" Artemis said not affected by the glare "let's watch the grinch instead"

"The grinch? Why would I need to watch a movie about you?" Percy teased

"Why you-" Artemis launched forward and tackled Percy. He fought him off and was able to flip her around, but not before being grabbed by the legs and pulled all the way to the ground. This went on for around two minutes, only stopping once Percy hit his head on the center table. "Ow! It hurts"

Artemis, seeing as this was partly her fault, felt pretty bad for inducing that amount of pain on him. She also knew that he tended to exaggerate his pain quite a lot, so she didn't know what to expect. "Percy, where did you hit yourself?"

"Hit myself?! You were the one who made me lose half of my brain!" Percy exclaimed

Artemis scoffed "Oh please! You need to have a brain in order to lose half of it"

"Fine, don't help me. I hit the back of my head" Percy rolled his eyes

The goddess went to one of the closets in search for the first aid kit. To her, it was pretty obvious that this was the home of a man. No woman could have this level of disorganization, it was simply impossible.

It took her a while to find the first aid kit, as it was hidden behind two Jengas, one monopoly, one Sorry!, and one Game of Life. Once she had it in her hand, the moon goddess ran towards the living room, where Percy was sitting down.

As soon as he looked at what Artemis had on her hands, Percy's face paled.

"You know, I'm feeling much better. I think I don't need that" he said in a really high pitched tone

"Seems like you really lost half of your brain when you hit that table"

"No really, I'm fine. You don't need to use the kit"

"Stop resisting, it'll happen even if you don't want it to" Artemis knelt in front of Percy while he tried to move away. "Let me see the wound"

"No"

"PERSEUS LET ME SEE THE WOUND" Artemis howled at the god.

"Fine, don't have to tell me twice Great Goddess of the Hunt Lady Artemis" Perseus grumbled

Ignoring the comment, Artemis checked the open wound on the back of Perseus head. Ichor flowed like the River Nile in the back of the God's head, and a little bit of bone was clearly visible from the open wound.

"Oh no, I can see your brain decomposing from here" Artemis joked

"What?! Help me out Artemis! Please! I beg you!" Percy cried

"Fine, now let me see if I can save you" Artemis further inspected the wound "it doesn't look good, that's all I can tell you. By the end of this you might forget how to walk or how to see colors"

"You're joking right?" Percy said, stopping the tears from falling

"Let's just focus on the task at hand, ok?" Percy nodded "don't move your head"

"Sorry" he muttered

"Anyways, all I have to do is stitch this up and put on some antibiotics. We may be in mortals but that doesn't mean our microscopic friends don't like to visit"

"Is there any way that we could do this without opening the first aid kit?"

"Oh what is the fascination with me not opening the first aid kit? There is nothing-" Artemis was cut off by the sight of the first aid kit.

Usually, the inside of a first aid kit contains bandages, sterile gauzes, gloves, scissors, pain killers, some sort of alcohol to sterilize an area, cream, and stuff for suture. An item that is not expected to be found inside a first aid kit, however, is a small navy blue box. Filled with curiosity, Artemis opened the navy blue box, only to find a diamond ring.

"Yeah see that's why you weren't supposed to open the kit" Percy said

The goddess was in complete shock and struggled to come up with words. Five hundred years ago (or two hundred in the normal world), Artemis had asked Percy's hand in marriage. After being rejected, she never thought that they would ever get married. Yet, here she was, holding the hidden diamond ring which she could only assume was for proposal purposes only.

"Is this what I think it is?" Artemis asked Perseus

"Yeah. It was supposed to be this romantic gesture where I would save you and then I would ask you to marry me so I could show that I'm not the only one dependent here, but seems like reality had other plans" he chuckled

"So this is it?"

"I mean I have to ask. Give me that" Percy took the box from Artemis hands "Artemis, there are no words to describe how happy you have made me. You literally made time here pass by so fast just with your presence, you've taught me how to defend myself, but you've also taught me how to be myself. Without you, I would be a loner with no family or knowledge about my powers. But now that you're here, I have reached everything that I need to be.

"So I'm asking you right now, as your best friend and the person who will always be by your side. Will you, Lady Artemis, make me the happiest man in existence and marry me?" Percy proclaimed

Artemis knelt there in shock, the words not fully entering her mind. Minutes passed and Percy's happy demeanor morphed into an uneasy one.

"You could say no also, it's fine" he said

"You idiot, of course I say yes" Artemis hugged Percy really hard, which made him hit his head.

"Ow!" He yelled

"Oh sorry! Let me fix you up and then we can be happy again" Artemis said, earning a slight nod from Perseus.

After five minutes, Artemis had stitched the wound close and rubbed some alcohol there so that no unexpected infections occurred. Once there was no danger to be seen, the new engaged couple celebrated by doing what they were most happy doing together: watching a movie. The young couple decided to just watch a movie and be happy in each other's embrace, nothing new from what they had done for the past couple of decades.

"So Percy, now that we're getting married you can actually go outside of this island" Artemis said excitedly

"Won't your father mind that you married me without your permission?" Perseus asked worriedly

"Nah, he wouldn't do anything to you once he finds out how much I love you"

Perseus wasn't fully convinced, but decided to keep the option open. "Fine, we can just wait for the war to end right?"

"As soon as the war ends we're getting married and you're going to get the hell out of this prison alright?"

"Cristal clear Milady" Perseus declared "so, when is this war ending?"

"As soon as one of the three big demigods dies I hope" Artemis sighed

"Which one do you hope does first?"

"I honestly don't care, they're all stupid egocentric boys"

"If that's what you say..."

"They're like all boys, think they should become conquerors of the whole world and kill anybody who aren't like them. And then use the girls to create more boy soldiers and stealing their childhoods by indoctrinating them!" Artemis ranted

"I'm not like that tho"

"Well that's because you're not a boy" Artemis leaned into forward "you're a man soon to be my husband"

Hearing the word husband come from Artemis mouth made the god of tides very happy. He could not express the level of excitement that was passing through his body. After all, he was getting married to the love of his life, and a bonus of getting out of is island prison. Overall, this was the best day of his life.

At the same time all of this was happening, an ancient being began to stir in Tartarus, waiting for the perfect plan to take the Olympian throne from the gods.


	9. WWrecap

Every year, the Olympian gods have two meetings called the Solstice meetings. These meeting are the most important of Olympus; one which is celebrated on the summer solstice and the other is celebrated on the winter. Attendance is mandatory for all Olympians, and if it is not complied by, then the god who had been absent would suffer a great punishment. Last time it happened was when Dionysus kindly ignored the meetings due to a personal reason, and he was sentenced to 50 years without consuming alcohol.

However, this solstice meeting was supposed to be far more important than a usual one. This is due to a main event happening, the end of the Second World War, or how many gods liked to call it, the petty demigod Great War 5.0.

Many of the Olympians arrived alone at the meeting, simply flashing on their thrones and wait patiently for the meeting to begin. Some others chose to walk in by themselves or with some other god by their side. The twin Olympians were no exception to this, always choosing to keep each other's company as they entered the throne room.

Every year was the same. They would meet up in front of Apollo's palace and walk together to the throne room, talking about recent events or simply fighting about nonsense. Still, even if they fought the whole way, walking together to the throne room has become a tradition much too sacred to be broken.

Artemis waited patiently for her brother outside of his palace. Fifteen minutes had gone by and she was getting very impatient, tapping her foot on the floor and checking her internal clock to check the time. Apollo was never the most punctual god, and much less in the winter. Due to this, Artemis knew that she had to wait a little more time for her brother to arrive. Worst case scenario, they arrive late for the meeting and she would kill Apollo.

"Nice of you to show up Apollo" Artemis said as she saw her brother come out of his palace. He was wearing some long pants that reached all the way to his belly button, a long sleeve shirt with a sweater on top and a hello tie. The goddess of the hunt had no doubt that this decade had been one of the blandest in terms of fashion, and she wasn't even a gal that paid much attention to it.

"Sorry, I was just getting ready. Tying a tie is still so hard, they should invent some sort of clip, just so you can put it on fast and it won't choke you"

"Over fifty years have passed since they were invented, let it go"

"I'll let it go when they invent my clip-on tie idea"

Artemis rolled her eyes "alright alright, lets just get going to the meeting"

The two of them began to walk towards the throne room, talking about Apollo's recent love conquest and about the hunt's life. Out of nowhere, Apollo put his hand on Artemis shoulder, forcing her into a full stop.

"What are you doing Apollo? We're going to be really late"

"I know about your plan to tell our family about your marriage today, but today is not the day, trust me. I would want nothing more than for you to be happy with your husband and walk together around Olympus, but just don't do it until it's absolutely necessary."

Artemis tried to check any insecurity or lies in Apollo's reason, but she couldn't find any. "Why can't I tell them today?"

"My oracle has just received the next Great Prophecy, and it has to do with him. I'm going to tell the council another version just so-"

Artemis grabbed Apollo's shoulders "Apollo that's crazy! Don't do anything harsh, and don't lie about a prophecy! You know what father will do if he finds out"

"But he won't find out if you don't tell him"

The goddess of the hunt stayed staring at her brother, until she sighed in defeat. "I promise I won't tell him, or anybody for that matter"

Apollo nodded, taking his twin promise into account, and began walking towards the hall of gods. The moon goddess quickly followed suit, speed walking all the way to their destination.

The letoids were the last to arrive to the meeting. Every god was already present and Zeus had his bolt in hand, signaling the start of the meeting.

"Just in time. A few seconds later and consequences would have been placed upon you two" Zeus said seriously

"I apologize in place of my brother and I. We promise it won't happen again father" Artemis said

"I would hope so. Now, sit down and let's get this meeting in order" the twins sat down in their respective thrones and the meeting began.

"This is the solstice meeting since the Second World War finished. We can all agree that the Hades child was much too power-hungry, and so I propose that all of his offspring are terminated and for him to be prohibited from having children ever again." Zeus began the meeting

"I object!" Hades yelled from his makeshift throne, as his throne was removed from the council millennia before. "My children are not the only ones at fault. If I recall, your child dropped not one, but two nuclear bombs even when he believed that it could light up the entire world on fire"

"But it didn't" Zeus replied

"It could have, Zeus!"

"Don't yell brother!" The king of gods threw his bolt to the ground, asserting dominance. The rest of the gods sat quietly, much too afraid to say something that would make Zeus anger direct itself towards them.

"And don't get me started on the Russians who raped every young woman they could get their hands onto when they arrived, or how they killed their own people just so they would attack with even more fury to my children!" Hades said

At the accusation, Poseidon's face turned red in anger. "Are you kidding right now? If we're going to talk about rape, we are are going to talk about what your children did in Nanking and Korea, or what your children did to their own people!"

"They weren't the only ones who sent their own people to concentration camps just because they were the same ethnicity as my children? And Poseidon's kids set fire to almost every village they occupied, so in retrospect my kids weren't that bad"

"Your son was Hitler" Poseidon said

"Well yours is Stalin. That's not much better"

"We can all conclude that my children are the best behaved and best of them all" Zeus then said proudly

The two brothers stared at the King of Gods, "you're joking. Your kids are the ones who say they're the good guys but will stab you in the back at the end. Plus you're the only ones who don't have plans to get rid of your colonies. I mean my children are trying to get rid of them and Hades children don't have colonies anymore."

"They are for vacation" Zeus defended his children

"Bullshit" Poseidon said

The Big three kept staring at each other, daring for one of them to open their mouth and say another thing. The tension in the throne room was almost unbearable for the gods, feeling like it was a dense gas chamber.

"Lord Zeus, can I have the floor?" Athena asked from her throne

"Of course daughter" Athena stood up and began to speak with great ease.

"As we know, the children of the Big Three have been guilty of starting numerous wars over the years. While some of us may not think much of it, the reality of the situation is that in order to maintain our power, the west itself must stay in power, and that is improbable when it is in a constant state of war. That is why I propose we pass a motion. I propose that the Big Three be precluded from having demigod children" Athena said seriously. There were many gasp at this, mixed with some angry faces from the big three.

"What does precluded mean?" Hermes asked

"It means that they would be prohibited from having any more children" Aphrodite shivered

"Oof, that's a tough one" Hermes then muttered

"You sure have some moxie, don't you Owl Face? Wanting to make me sterile just so your little brain children can run around without having someone better than them steal their spotlight. Tell me I'm wrong" Poseidon roared

"Father, if I may talk" Apollo said, earning a nod from Zeus, "I have just received the new Great Prophecy"

All the gods turned to look at Apollo, surprised about what the sun god had just said. It had been millennia since a Great Prophecy had been issued, and most of the times, those types of prophecies are not to be taken lightly.

"Well what does it say?" Zeus asked the golden god

"Well, it goes like this:

A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze"

"So basically, we gotta do Athena's plan now" Demeter said from her throne

"That's correct sister" Zeus said, standing up. "Brothers, if you will, I believe there is an oath that we must make"

"But I don't want to" Hades protested

"Are you conspiring against Olympus?" Zeus threatened

"Not at all, but I don't want to be forced into an oath that you will be the first to break"

"Nonsense, I swear on my honor that I will not be the first to break the oath. In fact, I will never break the oath" Every god in the throne room stared at the God of Thunder in disbelief. "Let's just make this oath once and for all. Poseidon, Hades, father with me in the center"

The two aforementioned gods stood up from their thrones and stood in the middle of the hall.

"Brothers, repeat my words. I, Zeus, swear on the river styx not to conceive any more demigods from this moment on"

The brothers repeated the oath (each changing the name, of course) and went to sat down in their respective thrones. The rest of the meeting went by normally, with no bigger incidents or secrets which had been spilled. Soon enough, the meeting was called to an end and all the gods flashed or walked out of the room.

The twin gods shrunk to their human sizes and walked out of the throne room in complete unison. Minutes of complete silence passed until Artemis could not conceal her curiosity any more.

"Are you going to tell me the real prophecy?" Artemis asked her brother, who was staring at nothing

"Inside either one of our palaces. There could be someone hearing us right now" Apollo replied telepathically. Artemis simply nodded and continued walking East, to where their palaces stood.

They first arrived at Apollo's home, entering from the main entrance of the palace towards the great hall. The siblings sat down in the dining hall, with a platter of food appearing in front of them.

"So, what is the reason why I could not tell the council about my marriage?" Artemis asked her brother

"As you know, the prophecy I told the council is not 100% correct. The real thing goes like this:

A child of the eldest full-blooded god

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze"

"And what exactly does it mean?"

"It means that the child of your husband will be the one who decides if Olympus is destroyed or saved. If I had told this prophecy, then father would've killed your husband without a second doubt. He knows who the eldest full-blooded god is, it's Perseus! He's the first one to be born out of two gods. Not even us, Artemis, are full blooded gods. Mom is a titan. A peaceful one at that, but a titan nonetheless." Apollo explained

Artemis took a bite from her steak. "But if you told the prophecy in an altered way, why couldn't I have told them about my marriage? I mean, nobody would think that his child would mean the eventual death of us all, he would just be my husband"

Apollo sighed "I know what you mean Artemis, but there was a reason why he was a prisoner in the island. If someone knew that he escaped, then gods know what would happen to him. Father never kept an eye on him, or he would've seen that you visited him very frequently. So, in order to keep him in a low profile, we couldn't say anything that might come as a shock to anybody"

Artemis stayed silent and slowly nodded her head. She understood why her brother had decided that it was not time to tell her secret to anybody yet, but that didn't mean that she did not wish for the opposite. Two years had passed in this realm since her wedding, and she had not being able to tell anybody about it.

"I understand...I have to get going now. Good bye Apollo"

"See you later sister"

Artemis got up from the table and walked out. She headed towards her own palace, where she had been hiding her secret for around six months, more or less. Opening the door and closing it quickly, she ran up the stairs and headed towards the master bedroom.

"So, did you tell them?"

"Not yet, but I promise that I will tell them soon. You just have to be patient" Artemis replied

"Alright, but only because I love you"


	10. Hector

Chiron had been the activities director of Camp Half-Blood ever since it opened. The old centaur had seen many students, with some of the most famous Greek Heroes being of his teaching. He had seen the child of all gods and was a master at deciphering the parent of each child. It didn't matter how old the child was, there were few key characteristics that every godly parent passed on to their child.

For example, each child of Ares was a mini psychopath, and each child of Aphrodite was very beautiful. The troublemakers were always the Hermes children and the Apollo kids hung out with everyone. After millennia of training young demigods, Chiron had become an expert at identifying godly parents.

However, the streak Chiron was so proud to hold was broken one day, when a mysterious baby appeared in the middle of camp.

The day started out as any average summer day. The campers all gathered to eat in the dining hall, he inspected every activity was fit for the heroes, so on and so forth. At around three in the afternoon, however, a young daughter of Aphrodite came running towards the old centaur.

"Chiron!" The girl yelled her mentors name

"Heather? What is the problem my dear?" Chiron asked the young girl with concern

"I was out with Scott, close to camp borders, and we found something. It was in a small bundle and we freaked out. You gotta come see!"

The centaur looked at the girl with great curiosity, but nodded and signaled her to show him the way. The you girl walked quickly through the woods, faster than he had seen any Aphrodite girl ever pass through the woods, until she came at a full stop.

"Scott! Where are you?" She yelled

The leaves from the left side of where the centaur and demigoddess were standing began to ruffle around. A young boy with curly brown hair and blue eyes came out from the bushes, looking around frantically.

"Heather, Chiron, take a look at this." Scott told them, returning once again to behind the bushes. A couple of seconds later, he came out from the bushes, but this time, the demigod son of Hermes was holding a bundle with his two arms.

Before Chiron could ask what the small bundle contained, a childlike cry was heard from it. Scott unwrapped the bundle, revealing a small baby.

"Well, it's safe to assume that it has godly blood flowing in his veins" Scott said after the surprise

"How do you know if it's a him?" Heather asked.

Scott looked down at the baby and nodded his head, "it's a boy, no doubt about that"

Chiron looked at the small baby with great curiosity. It had been long years since a baby was left in camp borders, and even longer since it radiates the amount of energy this baby had. And to make matters worse, the wise mentor had no clue what godly parent the baby had.

The baby had light brownish reddish hair and light green eyes, almost as if they were in constant motion. Everything else about the baby was the same as all other babies in the world, but usually the color of the eyes and scent of the child would give Chiron an idea of who the parent is. However, the child in Scott's arms was an enigma; it was a mystery that couldn't be solved for many years.

"What do we do with him?" Heather asked Chiron

"Let's go take him to the big house" Chiron decided

The three figures made way towards the big house, ignoring the questioning looks of the campers. Once they entered, they quickly laid the baby down on a soft surface on the floor so that it would not fall.

"So he had to stay here right?" Scott asked Chiron

The centaur nodded, "indeed, he will grow up immersed in the Greek World. He will grow up to be one of the best warriors in Greek history. There is something about him that tells me, he's the one"

The demigods looked at their mentor with their eyebrows scrunched, yet they did not question him any further. The group looked as the little baby boy rolled on the floor, smiling and laughing at the trio.

"We have to name him, don't we?" Heather asked

"How does Maximilian sound?" Scott proposed

"No. He's not a dog" The daughter of Aphrodite counterfeited

"Fine, then you decide on a name"

"How about Francisco?"

"How about we decide on a name that we can both say?" Scott grumbled

"Fine. Each of us get five veto's" Heather proposed

"Alright. You start"

"Hunter"

"Oh you want him to be a douche? Veto. Angel" Scott said

"Veto. Tanner"

"Veto. Elijah"

"Do you hate this baby? Veto" Heather scoffed "Chad"

"The frat guy name? Veto" Scott said "Keith"

"Ew veto. That's the most unattractive male name in existence" Heather gagged "Clayton"

"Veto. Cristian"

"You do realize that doesn't make sense right? So veto."

Just as Heather was going to propose another name, a flash of light forced the demigods to close their eyes. When they opened them, a paper was floating in mid air. Tentatively, Scott reached out and grabbed the paper, reading what was written on it.

"Well, what does it say?" Heather asked

"His name is Hector Carib Troy. Please take care of him, he would've been in danger if he stayed with his real parents. Chiron, train him as hard as you will, with no remorse whatsoever. Also, don't ever let him take off his necklace, it's the one thing that will keep him safe during the years to follow.

-The great Apollo, God of Prophecy, the Sun, Music, Poetry, Medicine, and much more

Ps. He is welcome to stay in my cabin"

Chiron looked at the little baby and picked him up.

"Well, you're just a little mystery aren't you Hector?" The baby laughed loudly and extended his arms at the two young demigods. "Seems like little Hector believes you two are his parents"

The son of Hermes blushed heavily while the daughter of Aphrodite simply picked up the baby from Chiron's hands. "Well I'm not your mommy Carib, but I will act just as one while I can, alright? We are going to have so much fun together. And Scott will help to, right Scott?"

"Of course, the baby will be my responsibility also" Scott said, touching the baby's hand with his finger and then letting the small hand grab it with all of its might.

As a new family was being formed, a new mother mourned the loss of her new child. She was being held by her husband, who tried to keep his tears at bay but failing at every attempt. It was the first baby of the couple, but due to political reasons, they could not raise their son.

On top of mount Olympus, in one of the Olympian palaces, am auburn haired goddess cried on the arms of her husband. The goddess had given birth in secret seven days prior, with only her brother and husband aiding in the process. Not only did she have to hide her pregnancy from the Olympians, but she also had to hide the fact that she was no longer a maiden from her hunters.

Artemis knew that in order to keep her hunters intact, she would have to tell them the whole truth. Marrying a man on an unknown island, breaking her oath for him, and even changing her whole perspective of men. When the goddess of the hunt was with her hunters she acted as if nothing had changed at all. She still turned boys into woodland critters, but it had decreased in frequency.

She had also decreased the time she spent with her hunters, using for an excuse that they 'had to develop hunting skills without the aid of a god'. As much of an obvious excuse that was, the hunters loyalty blinded them from what their mistress was doing behind their backs. Instead of spending all of her time with the hunt, the goddess had started to spend only 3 days a week with the hunt or when a special mission was issued.

The god Perseus had been claustrophobic the first few years on Olympus, but after being told that he could navigate the whole country (while making sure that he was not spotted by any God), the god of tides had become the happiest man ever. During the 1960's, the god had spotted a job as a lifeguard in the Florida beaches. He resided in Miami, living happily in a luxurious apartment and doing what he loved. Then, as the 1970's came and went, the city of Miami became much too violent for the peaceful persona of Perseus to bear.

It was the perfect timing also. With more women working outside of their homes, the demand for day cares grew exponentially. At first, people were reluctant to leave their kids alone with a man, but after seeing the happiness of the kids, the Day Care bloomed. Every kid that went to the day care came out being a better person. They learned they necessary values to be good people in the outside society, while also having the most fun.

Overall, Perseus life had been much better since he had left that dreaded island. He could finally have jobs that would directly deal with his domains, he had the opportunity to visit wherever he wanted in the world, and he had the most beautiful wife in existence, who he loved with all her heart.

Unfortunately, all good times come to an end. The day had come where he had to give up his son.

Perseus understood why he had given up his son, he really did. It was a sacrifice, something that would benefit everyone in the end. Still, that didn't mean that the process hurt less, it just meant that he understood why they had to do it.

"Did we have to leave him so soon? Could I have had my baby for a little while longer?" Artemis asked her husband

"If we had kept him any longer we would've put his life in danger. He's much safer down there in Camp Half-Blood." Perseus replied

Artemis put her hands on her face and began to panic. "We put our son in the spotlight. Now everyone will be able to see that he is different. What if they find out? What if one day he does something and then Zeus goes on and kills him? Or maybe-"

Perseus held on to his wife, "Artemis, relax. They won't find out that Carib is our son. I mean, let's be real here. Nobody besides Apollo remembers that I still exist, and people would actually believe that freaking Chaos would have a kid in Camp Half-Blood before you, so there's a slim chance that somebody will figure it all out. Besides, the best way to hide something is right beneath everyone's nose."

Artemis sighed "I know, and you're right. It's just that-"

"It hurts to give up the thing you love the most in the world"

Artemis nodded. "The only thing I was able to do was give him a name"

"That reminds me, why Hector?" Perseus asked

"He was my favorite hero in Troy. He was just, had great skills, and defended his family with honor." Artemis explained

"You do remember how he died right?"

"And what Achilles did to his body. I should've done something about that. I mean, watching it was just so..." Artemis struggled to find the right word

"Grotesque?"

"Yes, exactly" the couple stayed a moment in silence "why Carib?"

"Well Carib is short for Caribbean, which is a sea, and the sea has tides" Perseus explained

"So you just went for it. Here I was, not naming him something like Hunter, or Artem, or Archer. Meanwhile you basically announced 'hey, this is my child!' to everyone" Artemis said madly

"At least you're going to be able to see him. When you go with your hunters to camp Half-Blood, you will be able to see our son laugh, cry, and many other things. You will be able to talk to him if you do wish! But what about me? I just stay in the shadows, not able to tell my own son that I love him," tears started to fall from Perseus eyes.

Artemis kissed her husband lightly "I'm sorry Percy. I didn't think about that"

"Yeah, well"

Artemis pondered for a bit until she found a solution. "I got it"

"You got what?"

"A partial solution" she received a questioning look from her husband " I just remembered that gods can visit demigods in their dreams. You can visit Hector whenever you want, as long as he is sleeping"

"But he's not a demigod Arty. The only reason why he won't age as a god should is because of the necklace. It's the same reason why his ichor will be seen as blood. It's all optical illusions, it doesn't change the biology of our son"

Artemis unconsciously touched her chest, the exact place where the necklace had been for the past five hundred or more years. "Right, but it's the only thing we can do. What do we lose by trying?"

"Hope"

"Hope shmush. If you can't contact him, I'll make sure that he knows about you by whatever means that takes. If you can contact him, then you can talk to him yourself"

Perseus sighed and nodded his head "ok, I'll try to do it in a couple of years"

"Thank you. But don't wait too long, a lot of demigods grow up resenting their godly parents" Artemis said

"But he's not a demigod"

"You know what I meant" Artemis punched him playfully in the arm

The married couple sat together for the rest of the afternoon and night, watching their first son meet his new family. Even though they were young, the gods knew that the two demigods who had found Hector were to be trusted, and that they would take care of their baby as their own. Not only that, but Chiron would train their son to be the best warrior ever.

They knew that he would have great skills. The were also sure that their son would grow up to be one of the greatest heroes of Greek History. But for now, the young couple only focused on passing their first night without their baby by their side.


	11. Chocolate

The year 2000 was a year on many emotional change, but not much actual change. No new wars emerged and no government ideologies emerged. All in all, it was just an average year, the perfect way to start a new millennium.

The city of Orlando was very bland with the exception of its world class amusement parks. From Disney World to Universal Studios, there was always something for each member of the family. Add to that a 75 minute ride to the beach, and you had the perfect city for the god of childhood to reside.

Ever since the 90's, Perseus had started to manage a hotel in Orlando. With hospitality being one of his domains, it wasn't long before the small hotel grew into a big conglomerate. Even with its big establishment, the High Season Hotel Spa maintained its policy of treating every guest as family.

Perseus loved to work hands on with the people. Any problem that they might experience, Perseus was there to fix it without any delay. From high executives to lower class families, everyone was able to enjoy the hotel at a great price. It broke the social barriers inside the hotel, as it delivered everything for everyone. There were high class restaurants for those sophisticated folks and McDonalds for those unfortunate families.

One day, Perseus was sitting in his office, doing some paperwork, when his phone rang. Not thinking twice about it, the god of tides picked up the phone.

"Mr. Jackson, your nine o'clock appointment with Ms. Love starts now. Should I send her in?" A female asked

"I don't have any appointments today" Perseus told his secretary

"No sir, you have this one appointment. The rest of the day is clear"

Perseus tried to recall a meeting scheduled for the day but failed to do so. As far as he remembered, he had decided to do all of the paperwork that day because he wouldn't have any interruptions.

Unsure of what to say, Perseus decided to let the person in. "Alright Claudia, send her in"

The office door opened and a woman entered. The woman held an aura of superiority, mixed with a flirtatious nature. Her skin was healthy tanned and her auburn haired flowed freely. To Perseus, this woman resembled his wife a little bit too much, which made him immediately cautious about her approach.

The woman swung her hips as she walked, able to seduce any man that would see her from a 100 mile radius.

"Perseus Jackson at your service" He extended his hand

The woman shook it lightly, "Amanda Love"

She sat in front of Perseus, putting her purse on her lap and one leg on top of the other.

"Well, what brings you here today Ms. Love. Is there something that you need fixed?" Perseus asked

"Oh nothing is the problem. I just came here to listen who you are Perseus. Tell me, who are you" Amanda said in a trancelike state.

Perseus, being caught off guard, was about to tell his whole life story to this new person, but something inside of him stopped him from doing so.

"You're Aphrodite aren't you?" Perseus asked

"Well aren't you a smart one" Aphrodite smirked

"What are you doing here Milady?"

Aphrodite sunk into the seat, "I just wanted to see the god that has passed in the shadows for a few decades now. First working as a lifeguard, then in a day care, then designing clocks, and now here in a hotel. Quite a life you've built by yourself"

"How did you find me?" The god of tides asked

"You think that a man who makes every girl he meets fall head over heels for him would pass unnoticed on my radar? Gods no. I think it was 1960...I'm not sure but it was after the Second World War when I first noticed you existed. Since then, I've tried to track you down, but just when I was close enough to catch you, you disappeared. How did you do that Perseus?"

Perseus shrugged his shoulders "I have no idea. If you have nothing else to say then I think you should get going"

"I'm not finished" Aphrodite said, putting her right hand up, "am I correct that you don't want the Big guy up there to know of your whereabouts?"

"I would prefer it that way, yes"

Aphrodite got a smug look, "then if you want for me to keep my mouth shut, then you will do everything I say"

"I'm sorry Milady, but I am married and would prefer not to cheat on my wife. Not only do I really love her, but she would also make me fade if I ever cheated on her" Perseus explained

"Oh don't worry about that, I don't want you to be romantic with me or anything of the sort. You know who Artemis is right? And about her hunters?"

"I've heard about them. Why?" Perseus told the goddess of love

"Basically what I want you to do is to act like a guardian for my kids. Guide them to Camp Half-Blood, make sure that they are not suffering with their parents, and protect them from whatever evil may bestow upon them"

"But what about the ancient laws?" Perseus questioned

"I'm sure there won't be any problem. After all, you had quite a few demigods on your Goddy Day Care" Perseus stared wide open at the new information the goddess had given him. "Now the first child you should look after is called Silena Beauregard. She lives with her father in Albany, New York, and being one of my most powerful children, she will soon be overwhelmed by monsters. Take her to Camp Half-Blood and your job will wait for me to give you another job right here."

Perseus got up and cracked his back. "Silena Beauregard, Albany, take her to Camp Half-Blood. Got it"

"Thank you Perseus. I know I'm basically blackmailing you, but I'm still grateful for what you're doing"

Perseus waved his hand "don't worry about it. You could've asked me without the blackmailing part though"

"Yeah, sorry about that. I just wanted to make sure you would do it" Aphrodite said blushing slightly

"Understandable, but I have to get going if I want to make it to your daughter today"

"Alright then. Good luck Perseus" Aphrodite said before flashing out. Perseus gathered his sword and knives, put on some more comfortable clothes, and flashed to Albany.

The problem with Aphrodite's logic was that she never gave Perseus an address, and Albany is a moderately big city.

"Just how am I supposed to find one child in this city?" Perseus muttered to himself

He walked around the city for hours, taking half an hour of break to eat lunch. In the end, Perseus was about to give up his search for the day, when he stumbled upon a small chocolate shop. Deciding that it would be a good idea to have some chocolates for his wife, Perseus entered the small and cozy shop.

The inside of the shop smelled like fresh made Belgian chocolate, and it had many pictures of chocolate being made and couples eating them together. It was a small shop, with probably only three round tables for people to sit.

Perseus went to the counter, where a early thirty year old man stood.

"Good afternoon sir, how can we help you today?" The man asked

"Yes, can I have a box of chocolates?" Perseus said

"Certainly, would you wish for it to have some kind of chocolate in specific?"

"Whatever you think it's best"

"Alright, I'll give you one of every kind then," the man began to put chocolates in a mid sized red box, "is this for someone special or do you just like chocolates?"

"It's for my wife. She has been out of town for about three days so I want to give her something when she returns" Perseus explained

"Ahh love, it is such a great thing while it lasts. I remember my first love. She was really beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the world it seemed," the man sighed "but then after having our daughter, she had to leave for personal reasons. I understood why she did it, but our daughter still resents her a little bit"

At this, the entrance door opened, revealing a small 8 year old girl. "Speaking of the devil. Silena, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in your modeling classes?" The man asked the little girl

"Mrs. Muller was acting really strangely. And she also stunk, so I came here to help you in the shop" the little girl explained

"Do you have any homework?"

"I already did it"

The man looked at his daughter with his eyes distrusting her words, but still accepted her help on the shop.

"That would be 8.69 sir" the young girl said

Perseus took out his wallet and began to search for money, only finding 100 bills in it. "You have an unusual name Silena. Do you happen to know a little girl named Silena Beauregard?"

The little girl looked at him weirdly, "that's my name"

Perseus eyes widened and then looked at the man, trying to figure out how this man got to be with the goddess of love. "Well Silena, I have to tell you something that I haven't told anyone."

"What is it?" Silena asked, inching forward in curiosity

"Do you ever wonder why your mother had to leave after you were born?" The little girl nodded "it's because your mother is a goddess. She sent me here to escort you to a camp where you'll be safe from all monsters, and where you'll make tons of friends. How does that sound?"

"It sounds too good to be true. How do I know that you're telling the truth? Do you really know my mother?"

"I'm guessing you have ADHD and dyslexia, right?" The girl nodded in confirmation "that's a sign of being a demigod. You'll have other powers later on, so in order to train with them you have to go to camp"

"But I don't want to leave my dad" the girl said sadly

"Don't worry Silena, you can visit me anytime you want. Your mother had told me about this, I just didn't realize it was going to be this soon" the father said

"Do you really think I'll like it?" The little girl asked Perseus

"Without a doubt. Now grab my hand, we have to get going. Monsters will hunt you down now that you know the secret" Perseus said, extending his hand

Silena took the god of tides hand with a strong grip.

"Wait sir, your chocolates" the man said

"Oh yeah sorry. This is all I have" Perseus handed him a 100 bill "keep the change"

The man looked at the god with a surprised look, unsure about wether to accept the money or not. He was broken from his state when the little girl hugged him hard.

"I'm going to miss you daddy" she said

"I'm going to miss you too. Remember that you can always come back when summer ends" Silena nodded

The grabbed Perseus hand once again, and headed out of the small chocolate shop. They walked to the outskirts of the city, then onto the woods east of where they once stood.

"Is it a long way?" Silena asked

"Yeah it's pretty long. If you want, I can carry you" Perseus offered. Silena nodded her head and put her hands up in the air. "Not that way. Put your legs on my shoulders, and sit there." Silena followed the instructions. "Now put your hands around my head and grab on"

Once Silena sat down and put her hands around Perseus head, he got up and began to walk faster in the direction of Long Island. Getting impatient, the god of tides began to run all the way to camp, taking the advantages of being a god for good use.

The pair arrived at the borders of camp in around a half hour. Perseus stopped just at the border, letting Silena off his shoulders.

"Final Stop, Camp Half-Blood. All passengers are required to pass the border and report to the Big House and meet Chiron, the wise centaur of the east. From the team of Percy's Choo Choo Transportation, we wish you a very good day" Perseus saluted Silena

Silena chuckled "you're funny Percy"

"Why thank you little princess." Perseus bowed down "remember, if anybody asks, you arrived here with the help of your mother. She guided your way here, ok?"

"Ok Percy. Thank you for helping me" Silena hugged the god.

"It's no problem, now go and make new friends"

Silena ran towards the camp, waving goodbye to her protector without ever looking back. Sighing, Perseus flashed away to his office in Orlando, continuing his job as a mortal hotel owner.

The little girl walked through camp, watching in awe the great structures and teenagers practicing combat. There was a lava wall, an archery range, an amphitheater, and twelve cabins in the shape of a U. Silena took notice of a division between the campers wearing an orange shirt and the girls wearing silver, but decided to ask about it once she met Chiron.

Silena spotted a sky-blue house, which was pretty big, and assumed that it was the Big House which Perseus had referred to. She decided to enter, noticing the many rooms right away. As she entered one, she noticed many injured campers. This shocked the young girl greatly, stepping back in surprise. She stumbled upon something, and quickly turned around in fear of what it might've been.

"Oh careful there child" the centaur said

"Are you Chiron?" Silena asked the centaur

"That is correct my dear. And who are you?"

"My name is Silena Beauregard, and I came here because my dad said it would be a safer place for me. I'm going to find out who my mom is right?" Silena asked excitedly

"Yes Silena, you will find out who your mother is. But first, lets get you watching the introduction video"

The daughter of Aphrodite entered a room, where she saw the introduction video. It explained fully the Greek World, along with what the camp was and why she had to be there. When she exited the room, Silena found Chiron talking to a girl, around twelve years old. She had auburn hair and silver eyes, very unusual for anyone.

"Chiron! I finished the video" Silena exclaimed, breaking the conversation between the centaur and the other girl

"Oh good. Now, Silena, go find a boy named Antonio Perez. He's 12 years old and a child of Aphrodite. Just look for the pretty boy with hazel eyes." Chiron told the demigod

"Ok, thank you Chiron" Silena left the Big House in search for her tour guide, leaving Chiron and the auburn haired girl alone

"A daughter of Aphrodite it seems" the girl said

"That's what I was thinking Milady" Chiron replied "if I may ask, why didn't you walk her to join your hunters?"

"She's much too young, and I sense that she has a father figure in her life. The last thing I want to do is deprive a young child of their family" the auburn haired girl remarked

"Not to be rude, Lady Artemis, but that didn't stop you before" Chiron voiced

"I know, but I've been thinking more about my hunters family. Most of them did not have anybody, but a few left their family alone to be part of the hunt. I don't know how much their parents were hurt, but since thinking about that, I've vowed not to make another parent suffer because of me" Artemis explained

Chiron looked at the goddess proudly, "since when did you start thinking about that, Milady?"

"A personal event that I would rather not get into much detail. Now let's go, after dinner my hunters will beat the Hades out of your campers" Artemis said grinning, walking out of the Big House with Chiron on her tail.


	12. Injury

As always, the game of capture the flag was an easy win for the hunters of Artemis. In around 25 minutes, the hunters had managed to get rid of all the defenses and had taken the campers flag. Zoë Nightshade, the lieutenant of the hunters, was the one who had grabbed onto the flag and who was running towards their side of the field.

The Hermes Cabin tried to put on a fight with their speed, but the hunters were just too good of archers to be beaten purely from the ground. The Apollo cabin tried to stop the archers, but they failed their task yet again.

There was only one little boy who managed to delay the hunters passing the division. The brown-auburn haired seven year old stood with his bow in hand, his eyes glaring at the girl running at him. He shot around five arrows, all able to slow down the girl enough for her to be in a close enough range for him to use a sword.

Noticing that the boy had taken out his sword, Zoë Nightshade put the flag on the pocket of her pant, taking both of her silver daggers for the fight. Both competitors glared at each other, daring the other to make the first move. After around ten seconds, the lieutenant of the hunt decided to attack the young boy. He defended himself fairly well with his sword, making contact with both of Zoë's daggers and dodging the attacks of the lieutenant of the hunt.

During the fight, Zoë Nightshade managed to take the helmet off the brave boy. At this action, the boy growled and began to fight with even more fury. As hard as he tried, the physical situation of the seven year old boy made it very difficult to fend against a well trained 14-year old. Even as he was losing, the boy did not give up or lower his intensity, something which bothered the hunter.

The boy continued to defend himself against the attacks he received, getting very tired. Suddenly, the seven year old was hit in the head with a metal bat, making him lose consciousness and begin to bleed uncontrollably.

Behind him stood Agnes, a hunter of Artemis older than Zoë Nightshade herself, with a bloody metal bat in hand. The lieutenant of the hunt looked at her fellow hunter in shock and slight disgust, as her comrade had just hit a seven year old in the back of his head, possibly killing him.

"Hey, boy" Zoë began to poke at the little boy, receiving no response.

Campers and hunters alike gathered around the scene, calling a silent truce to stop fighting while they dealt with the serious matter.

"Is that Hector?" "I told him he shouldn't have played" "is he ok?" "Who would do something like that to a kid?" "Somebody help him" the campers said all at once, taking part of private conversations all covering the topic of the little unconscious seven year old.

The crowd began to part as a frantic Artemis ran towards the scene. When her eyes landed on Hector, her face quickly changed to desperation. She made her way to the unconscious kid, taking his vitals and making sure he was still alive. Then, she looked up to see the hunter who had done such a cowardly act.

"Agnes, did you do this?" Artemis asked in a low voice, scaring the gods out of everyone present at the scene

"Y-yes Milady" Agnes muttered

"Go to my cabin and wait for your punishment. I do not wish to see your face right now. And pray to anybody that he comes fairly unharmed from this, or there will be Hades to pay. No go" the hunter stood paralyzed in shock. "Are you deaf or are you stupid? GO TO MY CABIN NOW" Artemis yelled

The hunter ran towards the silver cabin, not looking at her mistress in fear of being killed where she stood. All onlookers backed away from the fury that the goddess of the hunt radiated. Artemis picked the boy up in her arms and walked towards the infirmary, with Chiron trailing right behind her.

Artemis placed Hector on a bed, examining his wound with great detail. Noticing how bad it was, she had no other choice but to call professional help.

"Apollo! Come here please!" Artemis yelled at nothing.

Waiting a few seconds, Apollo flashed inside of the infirmary, wearing a tank top, shorts and his signature sunglasses.

"Hey little sis! What do you-" he was cut off by the sight of his nephew with a head injury

"Help me heal him Apollo" Artemis said frantically, ignoring the way Apollo had called her

Apollo nodded and proceeded to turn around, "Chiron, if it isn't much of a bother, I would rather heal this demigod without many people in the room, so could you please wait outside while I work?"

"Of course Lord Apollo" Chiron bowed and made his way out of the infirmary, closing the door with him

The sun god turned to Artemis and started to inspect the wound on his nephew, "what the heck happen?"

The dam that was holding Artemis together broke, and the goddess of the hunt began to sob uncontrollably. "T-they we-were playing c-capture t-t-the flag-g a-ag-gainst my-my hunters and then h-he began to fight Zoë and t-then A-a-ag-agnes hit-hit jim with a b-b-bat" she muttered, struggling to explain what happened

Apollo was shell shocked "a hunter did this?" He said while putting nectar on the wound

"Yeah, and all I want to do is kill her for hurting my son, but at the same time, she has been in the hunt for thousands of years and receiving a really hard punishment would seem unusual for this kind of situation, considering who I am and the fact that he's a boy."

Apollo nodded and put his hand on the wound, making it glow a serene gold. When he pulled it out, the wound was closed and healed. "I understand, and sadly I cannot help you. All I can say is to follow your heart. In the end, she almost killed a seven year old. The only thing that saved him is the fact that he is an inmortal, but that does not change what happened" Artemis nodded and started to stroke Hector's cheek

"You should tell his father"

"Can you please do it? I want to stay by his side" Artemis said, styling her son's hair. "I'll owe you one"

"Fine, but you owe me remember. And more than one. Where does he live?" Apollo asked

"He lives in Orlando, in the only house that emits a godly aura"

Apollo rolled his eyes, "thanks for the address little sis" he said before flashing out, leaving the mother and son alone in the infirmary.

The little boy began to stir, opening his eyes ever so slowly revealing his light green eyes the combination that is silver and sea green. As he opened them, Hectors face turned into one of much confusion.

"What happened?" He asked slowly

"One of my hunters hit you in the head with a metal baseball bat. You went unconscious and many thought you had passed" Artemis explained

"So you're lady Artemis. Excuse me for not noticing and forgetting to do the correct bow" Hector said, trying to sit up. Artemis put a hand on her sons shoulder, stopping him in mid movement.

"You don't need to bow to me Hector. If we meet again, you can just call me Artemis, and never bow to me. You should bow to other gods, don't take this the wrong way, but never to me. Understand?" Hector nodded slowly in understanding. "Great, now you need to rest. A head injury is not something to be taken lightly"

Artemis got up to leave the room, but as soon as she got up, her wrist was grabbed by the little boy.

"Could you please stay for a few more minutes Lady Artemis?" The boy asked the goddess

Artemis put on a small smile and replied, "of course Hector, I'll stay as long as you need me to"

Meanwhile on the south side of the country, a blonde god arrived at the normal sized house of the father of the injured boy. Apollo knocked on the door thrice, waiting for the god of tides to open. As he was about to know just a second time, the door swing open, revealing a twenty something year old man.

"Can I help you?" The man asked

"You're Perseus right?" Apollo asked

"Yeah, and you are..."

"Apollo, the god of the sun and medicine and a bunch of other stuff"

"You don't look anything like Artemis" Perseus said

Apollo rolled his eyes, "It's called being fraternal twins. Anyways, do you have a moment to talk? Artemis sent me"

"Why couldn't she have told me herself?" Perseus questioned

"Yes but she wanted to stay with my nephew until he got better"

Perseus eyes widened "what happened to Carib?"

"If you let me in I'll tell you" Apollo told the god of tides. Sighing, Perseus beckoned Apollo inside of his home, making him sit down in the living room.

They both sat down comfortably with a glass of something appearing in front of them. Apollo took a sip out of one and his eyes widened.

"Gods, this is the best mojito ever. How did you do that?" Apollo asked once he analyzed the taste of the liquid

"Part of being a good host is providing what your client craves and then perfecting it. But we're not here to talk about that. Please, tell me what happened to my son"

Apollo sighed as he put his mojito down, "as you know, the hunters are visiting camp, and it's tradition for them to play a game of capture the flag against the campers. Everything was going as normal during the game, until Hector was hit in the back of the head my a hunter. He went unconscious but I healed him, so he's fine right now. Besides that I don't know any details, cause Artemis didn't tell me much except the fact that I had to tell you, and I just did."

Perseus became furious at the hunters, at life, but mostly at himself for not being able to be there for his son.

"Can I finish my mojito before I go?" Apollo asked

"Oh yeah, sure. Don't worry about it." Perseus replied, turning on the tv from where they were sitting. "You know, I used to have one of these like five hundred years ago back in the island"

"I don't believe you"

"I swear! Artemis and I used to watch a lot of movies back then, and then we'd play video games" Perseus insisted

Apollo stared at Perseus for an uncomfortable amount of time, making the God of tides to sit up straight for no reason. "You don't appear to be lying. Weird"

"I don't lie the first time I meet people, cuñado. Plus, if I lie to you then you would tell Artemis and she would beat me to almost death" Perseus gushed

"Artemis can be pretty violent when she wants to" Apollo declared

"So how was it growing up? I mean, she must've been quite a mouthful while you two were little godlings" Perseus asked after a minute or so of silence

"Oh it was the best ever. We hunted our food, made each other crazy, and then we'd have our mother for comfort 24/7. I remember her being the best cook and loving us a lot. And she had such a difficult time with our birth too, thanks to that bitch Hera" Apollo ranted. He noticed that Perseus face turned sad at the mention of the goddess of marriage, and soon remembered that said goddess was his brother-in-laws mother. How ironic

"Anyways we always had such a great time. We played things like I would be the military and then she would be the damsel in need for a hero, or then she would be the queen and I would be the slave. She was really fun back then, but then when we came to Olympus she changed a lot, cause she saw how badly women were treated back then." Both of the gods kept the conversation going, each learning about the others childhood and habits; getting to know each other more personally.

After some time, a knock came from the door. Both gods turned their heads in confusion to the door.

"That's weird, I'm not expecting anyone" Perseus said as he got up to answer the door.

A man with curly black hair and blue eyes stood by the door. He was wearing long pants and a button down shirt, a look someone who was going to a club would wear.

"Hello sir, is Apollo present? Or maybe you know him by his alias Fred" the man said

"Who's asking?" Perseus counter asked

"Excuse me, where are my manners? My name is Paul Robber" the man said

Perseus narrowed his eyes, "what's your real name?"

The man looked shocked that Perseus had just seen through his lie, and sighed in defeat. "I'm Hermes. Is Apollo there? He promised me we would go get some drinks together since it's my day off"

"Apollo's inside. You can come in if you'd like"

Hermes accepted the invitation and entered the house, immediately spotting the god of prophecy.

"You were drinking while I waited for you? Do you know how much time it took me to find you?" Hermes questioned Apollo

"Probably like five minutes" he replied

Hermes glared at Apollo, "lets just go and hit the club"

"Fine, Perseus you wanna come with?" Apollo asked his brother-in-law

"It's fine, my wife would kill me if I did" Perseus said, taking the empty glass of mojito and putting it in the sink

"Come on man, you shouldn't be scared your wife" Hermes tried to tell Perseus

"No, it's true. If his wife found out he went to a club with me, his life would end" Apollo agreed with the god of tides

"She knows you?" Hermes asked

Apollo nodded, "yep, and she despises everything that I stand for. So trust me when I saw it's smarter and better to leave him here"

"Fine I get that. But I still don't understand what the big deal is. What's the worst she could do?" Hermes inquired

"I'm almost certain she made someone kill a guy once" Perseus said

"Like a paid assassin?"

"Sort of, but not quite" Perseus declared, "I'm sorry for not being able to tag along guys. Hope you have a great time"

"Thanks Perce. Talk to you later" Apollo waved goodbye

"Bye Perseus, it was nice meeting you" Hermes shook the god of childhood's hand.

"Bye guys, nice meeting you too" Perseus said before closing the door, letting his unhappy self finally reveal. The god went to his bed and hugged a pillow, silently crying for not being able to help his son in such a situation. Deep inside, Perseus feared that what his son feels for him would be the same as what he feels for his parents. The opposite of love, indifference.


	13. HephaestusTV

Three years after the attack on the World Trade Center, the city of New York had returned to its normal state. People were saddened by the end of the decade favorite TV show Friends and no new shows appeared to take its spot as the crowd favorite. As such, many people began to read books, from Stephen King to Using a Computer for Dummies.

Inside a book store named Borders, a man searched for a book that fit his desires. He wasn't a man with a very sophisticated taste, and so he searched all around the shop in search of the one that would catch his eye.

Watching him was a young blonde woman, whose appearance did not do justice to her wiseness. Her grey eyes analyzed the poor man in its full self, from his body to his aura. Being the smart woman that she was, she quickly deduced that the man was not a mortal. He seemed to have a strong aura for a god, but not strong enough for a titan or another stronger being. Not only that, but the man did not remind her of anybody she had met, which made her very curious about his identity.

Deciding that it was better if she found out by herself, the blonde woman approached the black haired man, who was looking at a children's book.

"Hi" she said kindly

The man turned to meet her eyes, being surprised by the sudden voice. "Hi"

"The very hungry caterpillar, is that a gift for someone?" The woman questioned

The man blushed and laughed awkwardly, "of course it's a gift. What kind of full grown man reads children's books for pleasure?"

"There's nothing wrong with reading those kinds of books, you know"

"Yeah I know. What are you buying?" The man asked

"The art of war and Reactions, Rearrangements and Reagents." The woman replied

"Wow, that sounds really..."

"Boring? Nerdy? Over-the-top?" The woman proposed

"I was going to say interesting, but yours work too" the woman laughed. "My name's Percy, Percy Jackson." Perseus said extending his hand.

"Athena" she said shaking Perseus hand.

The god of tides carefree demeanor changed completely, a scared facade taking its place. Perseus knee that this woman meant bad news. Once she found out about him, his whole life would be like an open book for her to analyze. It was bad enough that Aphrodite had him on the palm of her hand, but if Athena ever found out, his relax life would be over. Zeus would send him to his island-prison again and would no longer be able to be with Artemis.

"A-athena? As in-"

"Goddess of wisdom? Yeah, that's me. And from what I can tell you're no mortal either. Tell me, who are you Perseus?" Athena told the black haired god

"I'm a god who doesn't have demigods. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pay for my- I mean this book" Perseus said quickly, trying to evade the goddess and pay the book. Athena followed him, taking the register right besides the god of tides.

"That may be true, but I sense that you're not telling me everything. How about we settle this over a cup of coffee?" Athena proposed

Perseus looked at the goddess weirdly, "if you're asking me on a date then it's a no. See this ring?" Perseus put his hand up, "it means that I have a wife, and as far as I'm concerned I won't be cheating on her any time soon"

The goddess stifled a laugh, "you do know I'm a maiden goddess, right? That means I have no intentions of making you cheat on your wife"

Perseus understood the excuse but didn't feel satisfied by it. After all, Artemis was known for being the biggest man-hater in existence and the goddess who most prized her status as a maiden. Yet, here he was married to her, and her being very much not a maiden.

"If you say no then I would have no other option than to tell the council about your existence" Athena threatened

Having no other choice, the god of tides accepted the coffee request, following the blonde goddess to a coffee shop. They entered a small coffee shop, not a Starbucks or anything of the sort, but more like a local and non-franchise type.

"Cappuccino for me, and for him..." Athena told the barista

"Hot chocolate" Perseus told. Athena looked at him weirdly, "what? I don't really like coffee"

Athena nodded, taking a seat in a nearby table. Perseus sat in front of her, waiting impatiently for his drink. In about four minutes, the waitress served each god its drink, leaving the two of them to talk.

"So, Percy, is that your real name? Or is it short for something,? Perhaps Percival, but that does not see very Greek" Athena broke the silence

"Perseus. My full name is Perseus." The god replied coldly. Athena sipped her cup of coffee quietly, studying the god in front of her with great detail. His physical features reminded her of her rival, Poseidon, yet his mannerisms didn't quite fit his description. The offspring of Poseidon always had a way to threaten authority, and while Perseus here did not sympathize much with her, he didn't pose as any kind of threat.

"What are your domains?" Athena questioned

"I'm the god of childhood, hospitality, tides, technology, feelings secrets, humor and sacrifice" Perseus decided not to tell the goddess of wisdom about his domain of time, as he was almost certain that she would've overreacted about it. She had her reasons though, he didn't have any ties with Olympus (that she knew of) and he had domains that affected everyone in their personal being. Having him as an enemy would be a great problem for Olympus. "Apollo please come help me. I'll owe you one"

"I see Athena trapped you into a date. I'll help you don't worry. And I also won't be telling about this to a certain moon goddess" Perseus heard Apollo tell him through his mind.

"God of childhood...that must mean you're even less constricted by ancient laws than Artemis herself. Did you already know this?"

Before Perseus could get a chance to finish his interrogation, a blonde man with a carefree attitude entered the coffee shop, immediately making eye contact with the scared god.

"Percy! Long time no see bro" The sun god said, pulling a chair towards the table. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting your date?"

"No bro, you came just in time. I was just telling Athena how awesome I am."

"Oh 'thena, Percy here is the bomb. He can make the most serious person in the world laugh, he's loyal to a fault, and he is the coolest person to hang out with. He will never say no to anything, like he has worked everywhere for the past like fifty years or so. You know that really cool hotel in Orlando? That's Percy's. Those cool 'Made in the USA' watches? Percy's designs. Like seriously, I get why you wanted to take him on a date. I mean, ignoring all the cool stuff he is, he's not hard on the eyes" Apollo said seductively, which made Perseus shiver at just the thought of him with his brother-in-law.

Athena looked between the two gods, trying to figure out what was wrong there. "Since when have you known Perseus?"

"If you mean the first time I actually met him, then around four years ago. If you mean when I first heard about him, then I think about six hundred years ago, give or take" Apollo told the complete truth, grinning at Athenas perplexed face.

"Who told you about him the first time?" Athena asked

"A relative" Apollo responded

"Apollo, all of us are relatives" Athena said madly

"I know" he grinned. Perseus tried not to laugh at the conversation, but failed miserably.

"What are you laughing at?" Athena asked angrily

"Sorry, it's just so funny to see Apollo outsmart the goddess of wisdom"

"If you two are done making fun of me, I have to tell the council of a rogue god" Athena said about to flash out

"If you do that, I'll tell father about Jean Batholdi" Apollo said quickly

"You wouldn't" she said angrily

"Oh I would. Now forget any of this happened. If a word ever does come out, you can bid your title as maiden goddess goodbye" Athena sneered at the god of light, and flashed away without looking at the god of tides. Perseus looked at the spot where Athena sat, her coffee still not finished.

"You owe me big time" Apollo told him

"Yeah, I know. Thanks a lot dude" Perseus put his hands on the table.

"That's what in-laws are for. By the way, how is Artemis?"

Perseus sighed "same as always. Kinda depressed since we had to abandon Carib on Camp Half-Blood, but I think she's a little bit happier since she got to talk to him"

Apollo nodded, "my sister has always been good at masking her feelings. She's hurting a lot, but having you by her side has helped her a lot"

Perseus nodded, unsure of what to say next. He knew that Artemis had been weird ever since leaving their child, but there was nothing else he could do. When she spent time with her hunt, her sad demeanor changed into a fully angry one. However, when she arrived at the palace or at his house, Artemis tried to mask her sadness whichever way possible. It hurt Perseus seeing his love hurting that much, but he knew that it would all be over in around five years.

"He looks a lot like you" Perseus looked at Apollo questionably, "Hector I mean. He looks a lot like you"

"Does he now? I always guessed he would look a lot like Artemis" Perseus joked

"Just because he has almost her color of hair does not mean he looks like her. He has a combination of both your eyes, and from what I've heard, he has great skill with the sword." Apollo put a hand on Perseus shoulder

"Yeah dude. Actually, lets see for ourselves" Apollo flashed the both of them to his palace. Then, he conjured a one-way Iris message, that way they could both see what was happening in camp-half blood.

The Iris message opened directly to the sword fighting arena, where an eleven year old boy stood fighting a blonde girl of about the same age. The boy was noticeably much better than the girl, yet he took this opportunity to practice his worst movements. Whenever the girl was about to win, the boy quickly moved and put her in a compromising position.

The gods stayed watching the combat for about five minutes, when the boy grew tired and decided to end the training. With a sword at her neck, the girl smiled widely.

"Do you yield?" The boy asked

"Yeah" The girl said. The boy helped her getting up, "How are you so good?"

"Training ever since I can remember is a good factor. Besides that, I guess I'm just naturally better than you brainiac" he shuffled her hair.

"I'm going to beat you soon, just you see" the girl said

"Annabeth, do you forget that I am the legendary Hector? The only boy who at seven years old went hand in hand with the lieutenant of the hunters of Artemis? And the only boy who has talked with Artemis without her threatening him about being turned into a wolf." Hector boasted

"And I'll still say, that hit on the head must've made you delusional. There's no way you talked to the man-hater without losing a limb or anything" Annabeth responded

"But I swear it happened" he whined

"I'm not calling you a liar Troy. I'm just saying that the hit may have affected your brain more than you must've realized"

Hector crossed his arms , "fine, don't believe me. But when we see the hunters again and Artemis doesn't kill me at first sight, we'll see who was delusional then"

"Whatever, lets just go to the archery range" the boy said, walking towards another end of camp, with the blonde girl following his steps.

Perseus stayed looking at the mist, many feelings crossing his mind.

"What did I tell you? Doesn't he look like you?" Apollo patted Perseus back

"That's my son"

"You're some eleven years too late to realize that. But yeah, that's Hector Carib Troy, or as I like to call him, little nephew." Apollo said smiling

Perseus smiled until he noticed the hour.

"Frick, I had to be early at Artemis palace today" Perseus said in a hurry. Simply waving goodbye, the god of tides flashed out of Apollo's palace into the palace right next to it.

"You're late" the moon goddess said, sitting on the sofa, eating a slice of pizza

"I'm so sorry Artemis. I was with Apollo" Perseus excused himself, before realizing the error of his words.

"Why were you with my brother?" Artemis narrowed her eyes

Percy paled "I was-um"

"Well?"

"I was watching Carib train through a one-way Iris Message. I swear I didn't go to a bar with him" Perseus said hurriedly

Artemis narrowed her eyes at her husband and slowly nodded. "I trust you. Now grab a slice of pizza and let's watch some tv"

"Good old fashion date night" Perseus said grabbing a slice of Hawaiian pizza. "How many times do I have to say that pineapple does not belong on a pizza?"

"And how many times will I say that it's delicious?" Artemis replied

"I only eat it cause you like it. It's the ultimate sacrifice" Perseus dramatically told.

The god of tides sat down on the couch, front facing the tv. Artemis, by his side, put on Hephaestus TV, just to see the latest gossip. As they turned it on, a photo of Aphrodite with a blurred picture by the side appeared. On the bottom there was a text that read 'Does Aphrodite have a new love?'

"Oh let's see what Aphrodite is up to now" Artemis said evilly, turning the volume up.

"Has the goddess Aphrodite found a new love? Aphrodite is known for having many consorts, but some people have begun to suspect that the love goddess has found a new love. According to our investigators, the goddess has been visiting a man with some frequency for at least a year now. Here are some photos of the couple" the reporter said.

Then, the worst possible photo appeared on the screen.

"The man who Aphrodite is hugging, according to our investigators, is called Percy Jackson. Not much is known about this individual, but nonetheless we wish him good luck with the goddess. Here are some other photos"

Many photos of both Aphrodite and Perseus appeared, the most intimate ones showing a hug, but most of them just laughing or being together.

Percy felt a slap across his cheek, and then an angry goddess yelling at him.

"What the fuck is this supposed to mean?!" Artemis yelled red-faced, her silver aura radiating dangerously close to self-destruction

"Artemis I swear it isn't what it looks like" Percy tried to defend himself

"Oh please, you know I'm not stupid Percy! You can clearly see your face in the photos, they said your name there, and now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense! This was the reason why you weren't spending much time with me! Because instead of being with your wife, you were laying around with the biggest whore in existence!" Artemis spat

"She's not a whore. She's just...free" Perseus rebunked

"Oh, so now you're defending her and making her better than me? Have a child with her then, cheat on me like all the other gods do with their spouses" Artemis cried

"No wait Artemis you have it all wrong" Percy touched Artemis shoulder as she scurried away from him. "Yes I've been spending time with Aphrodite, but nothing even remotely romantic or lustic, if that's even a word, happened between us. I meet with her so I can rescue her demigods and safely bring them to camp, which I can do because I'm not as bound by Ancient Laws as many of the gods. The only reason I started doing it was that she blackmailed me, but then I started to enjoy saving demigods. I swear on the Styx Artemis, the thought of cheating on you has never and will never cross my mind"

Artemis looked cautiously at her husband's eyes, looking away after some time.

"Let me just take a moment by myself"

"But Arty-"

"Please, Percy, just leave me alone for tonight. I need to think about some things"

Perseus grimly nodded and flashed out to his house in Orlando, sitting down on his sofa with a pint of ice cream straight from the carton. He ate as if there was no tomorrow, trying to understand why Artemis had reacted in such way. Yes, he had been caught red-handed about those stuff, but he didn't cheat on her. Never in their five-hundred years together had he seen Artemis so angry at him. It really made him wonder if it was the end of their relationship.


	14. Newbie

"Annabeth! Wait up!" Hector called as his friend entered the big house. He followed soon after, only to catch the blonde mob of hair moving towards the infirmary. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see him. He woke up for like a minute two days ago, but he fell back unconscious. Anyways, I actually need to nurse him" Annabeth said pointing at a black haired boy.

"Who is he?" Hector asked. The kid didn't seem familiar at all, nor did he look like any demigods at camp.

"His name is Alexander Pond. He killed the Minotaur on his way here" a voice said from behind the two friends. When they turned around, they came face to face with Grover the satyr. He wasn't a friend per se of Hector, but he was quite familiar with him and could fairly hold a conversation. He was also the only person, besides Chiron, who actually believed him when he said that he talked to Artemis.

"The Minotaur?" Hector asked

"Yeah, and he seems so strong too. Like imagine if you had no training and had to fend for yourself against the freaking Minotaur! There's no doubt that his godly parent is someone really powerful" Annabeth said, earning a jealous look from Hector

"Just marry him already" Hector said with an edge

"Wo, someone's jelly" Grover laughed

"I'm not jealous. I'm completely normal"

"Yeah sure, try to convince yourself that" Grover told "anyways, I gotta go grab something. Be right back"

As the half goat boy left, the new demigod began to stir. Annabeth quickly went to his side, with Hectors face earning a red tint. Alexander the newcomer opened his eyes, the image of the pretty Annabeth being the first thing he saw.

"You drool when you sleep" Annabeth said. Hector couldn't believe what he was seeing, and in an act of impulse, he stomped out of the big house and into the archery range.

Ever since he was three years old, the old centaur had taught Hector how to wield a bow. Much to his surprise, the little kid had a natural ability to archery, so much that if Apollo hadn't handwritten the letter when they first found him, Chiron would've thought that the god of archery was the father of the little boy.

Scott and Heather has been great "parents" to Hector up until their death when he was six year old. The moment he heard the news, the little light-green-eyed boy ran towards the archery range and stayed there launching his arrows. People came and went, everyone trying to get the boy out of the range and just to eat a little. He resisted, continuing to shoot arrows at the bullseye of the target.

It wasn't until he was shot by a sedative that Hector finally left the archery range. Still, every time the boy had a bad day or was feeling angry, he went to the archery range and canalized his feelings in such a way that nobody would end up hurt.

"Hey Hector, what got you mad now?" Lee Fletcher, a friend and cabin mate of the boy asked

"Nothing" Hector decided to lie

"Yeah right. Where's Annabeth? She usually knows what got you in a bad mood"

At Hector's frown, Lee already knew what the problem was.

"She found another friend?" Lee grinned

"You could say that"

"Are you going to be this way anytime a new demigod arrives?"

"Perhaps" Hector shrugged

"You do know that she's searching for the prophecy child right? I mean, you were the one that told me that she heard the prophecy two years ago, and ever since then she's been talking to every fresh meat to try and befriend the hero of the prophecy" Lee explained

"I know, but she seems that she wants to befriend this new guy"

"A social girl having more than one friend? The audacity!" Hector glared at his cabin mate "Hector, you need to chill. Didn't your parents ever teach you how to share?"

"The only thing my parents taught me was how to eat with my mouth closed and how to go to the toilet" Hector replied angrily

"Yet you only do one of us right" Hector continued to shoot his arrows, completely ignoring Lee, "hey, don't worry if she's making new friends, you're still my number one" Lee winked

"Thanks" Hector smirked, suppressing a laugh

The days that followed after were weird for Hector. Instead of leaving the new camper alone after a day, as she normally would, Annabeth kept being with Alex. Granted, they did take some classes together, but that didn't make Hector feel any better. Any time they were together, all Annabeth could talk about was how she though Alex was the one of the prophecy, and how he may have stolen the lighting bolt and everything.

During those days, Hector passed most of his time in the archery range, on the sword fighting arena, and strangely enough, on the Pegasus stables. Every time he visited the stables, Silena Beauregard was there taking care of them. He was a really pretty girl in Hectors eyes, but she felt more like a sister to the twelve-year-old boy. Silena felt the same way towards Hector, as he reminded her of the man that had brought her to camp.

Quickly enough, the end of the week arrived and the weekly tradition of capture the flag was to take place. Fortunately, Hector was in Annabeth team; Unfortunately, so was the newcomer Alex Pond. He noticed how Annabeth put Alex as bait, but she also put Luke to capture the flag.

"Hey, Annabeth, why'd you put Luke to capture the flag?" Hector asked her

"He's the fastest person we have" Annabeth simply replied

"I get that, but we are in a forest. And we both know that I'm the fastest one in the forest"

"But you're not a team player Troy, so shut it and play defense like I told you" Annabeth said harshly

Hector glared at his friend, and quickly turned around and took his position, not trusting his mouth at the moment.

The game went by pretty quickly, with Hector shooting down any camper that came even close to the diameter of the surrounding of the flag. Soon enough the conch sounded, meaning that they had won the game. Getting close to the boundary, he saw a hellhound about to pounce at Annabeth.

"Annabeth look out!" Hector went forward, pushing the daughter of Athena out of the way, getting a cut in the lower right abdomen. However, instead of keeping its attention towards Hector, the hellhound launched at Alex. Hector, taking notice of this, fought off the hellhound all by himself. Unfortunately, Alex was not left unscathed. He had many cuts on his body.

"Quick! Put him in the water" Annabeth ordered much to Hectors confusion.

The campers all helped Alex stand in the water, where they saw that the wounds started to miraculously heal. As soon as they were healed, a bright green trident appeared on top of Alex's head. Everyone stared in surprise at the newly claimed demigod, then bowed to him.

"All Hail Alexander Pond, son of Poseidon, god of the seas and the earthshaker" Chiron proclaimed

Hector saw red. He knew all about the prophecy and about the oath that the big three had made. They weren't supposed to have any children, yet here was a camper just claimed by Poseidon. But what bothered Hector the most was the fact that he was actually claimed. It didn't matter if he was a forbidden child, his father stilled cared enough to claim him.

As the campers dissipated from the scene, Hector approached Chiron, dreading the answer to the question that had morphed his way of being. Once almost all the campers had gone to the dining pavilion, Hector stood in front of the centaur and asked his question.

"Chiron, I've waited patiently for my parent to claim me during these twelve years, but nothing. I'm tired of watching all these new campers getting claimed, but me, a camper since basically birth, has no idea who his parent is. And I know it's not because I haven't done anything stupendous, because I managed to fight off the lieutenant of the hunters of Artemis when I was seven. I know my godly parent does not care about me, so please Chiron, can you tell me who it is?"

Chiron hated seeing a camper who had been like a son to him, saddened by the abandonment he felt he had.

"I'm sorry Hector, but I really have no clue who your parent is. Maybe your necklace says something. After all, it is something your godly parent left you when we found you here"

Hector scoofed "this necklace does nothing except making me feel mad towards my parent. I hate whoever it is. I mean, I have prayed every day without fail, I have been an excelent camper, I am one of the best archers and swordfighters, I mean, what else could it want?! Tell me Chiron! Why in gods name have I not been claimed yet?!"

As Hector yelled his complains, Chiron noticed how many squirles, some spunks, racoons, porcupines, foxes, and even some deers, gathered around the angry camper. The creatures all looked between the camper and his mentor, as if they were trying to figure out why the camper was so angry. Never in his life had Chiron seen such a behavior, which made him very scared about what might've happened next. After all, angry woodland critters were one of the most underrated forces in America.

"My child, try to calm down" Chiron tried to say

"No! I'm tired of being the forgotten for everything! My best friend forgot about me, my family is dead, and my godly parent either forgot or just really doesn't care about me, and I don't know which one of those is worse! You can see how everyone is gone now right? But did anybody ask me about the wound I got from the hellhound trying to save Annabeth? No! Because everyone just takes me for granted.

"I'm just little Hector Carib Troy, a stupid demigod who just by luck can sleep in the Apollo cabin because he is so alone that the manwhore decided to open his doors to him. But you know what? At least Apollo cares about my existence, much more than my real parent! I try to be the best at everything, and I am the best at some things, but nothing ever changes. I mean, why am I even here? Why did you train me since I was very little? I don't even have any powers. I'm just skilled, like an abile mortal." Hector ranted, tears of anger falling straightly through his cheeks.

As the camper continued to rant, the old centaur noticed how the moonlight seemed to engulf Hector, as if it tried to calm him down.

"Hector-"

"Stop it Chiron!" the brownish-haired camper yelled. Suddenly, the centaur could not move his body. No matter how hard he tried, the old mentor lost all control of his body. Hector, noticing what he had done, quickly became panicked. "Chiron! What happened?!"

The centaur tried to talk, but his mouth didn't respond to his commands. Hector touched Chiron, trying to get him to move, but nothing worked.

"Chiron go back to how you were please! Don't mess with me right now" Hector cried

As quickly as it had come, the paralized state of Chiron ceased in all its might.

"Hector how did you-?"

"I'm so sorry Chiron. I'm a danger to everyone" Hector said quickly, with tears falling out. Then, for the first time since he had arrived, the light-green-eyed camper ran out of camp borders, not daring to look back at his mentor or home.

The twelve-year-old ran as fast as he could for as long as he could, which surprisingly took him all the way to the city. New York City was everything Hector had imagined and more. Buildings two or more times taller than the pine trees at camp, thousands of people on the street, and lots of places to eat. The variety was incredible. From chinese restaurants to classic burger joints, the big apple had everything the pre-teen could want. However, all these food places required the one thing Hector did not possess; money.

Deciding that it was better if he slept in a mostly familiar surrounding, Hector decided to rest in Central Park. There, the young teen would be able to climb a tree if he so wished, or simply rest on a bench like one of New York finest hobo's.

Using his perfect sense of direction, Hector quickly found Central Park. The park was hugemongous, as if a mini forest had sprouted in the middle of the biggest city of the world. Breathing the comparably clean air, the ex-camper relaxed for the first time in the day.

"What is a camper like you doing outside of the camp?" a stern female voice said from behind Hector.

He jumped and quicly turned around. Standing around eight inches taller than the demigod was a beautiful woman. Long licorice-black hair with beautiful brown eyes. If she hadn't called him a demigod, Hector would've thought that the woman was a supermodel. Her regal features made the woman almost unapproachable. But what gave her identity away were the golden crown and the peacock feather belt.

"Lady Hera, a pleasure to be at your pressense" Hector bowed down in respect

"You may rise demigod. Tell me, what is your name" Hera demanded

"My name is Hector Carib Troy, milady. I do not know who my godly parent is, as I am yet to be claimed" the boy told respectfully.

The queen of gods inspected the boy carefully, measuring every aspect of him. From the way his clothes was dirty to the patch of blood coming from his side, Hera studied him in all aspcts. However, it was when her eyes fell on the necklace on the boy's neck that her eyes widened.

"Where did you get that ring?" Hera asked forcefully

"If you mean the one in my necklace, then it's the only thing my godly parent left me, milady. Twelve years ago, two now deceased demigods found me around the borders of camp, and this was the only thing i had on me...I think. Chiron never told me the story in much detail. But I do know that this necklace is supposed to protect me, or so Chiron says. In reality, it's the only thing my godly parent has ever given me" Hector told in full honesty, not daring to lie to the powerful and vengeful goddes.

Hera, knowing the information she had just been given, started to analyze the physical qualities of the boy. Even at twelve years old, the boy facial structure was very similar to her own. His hair didn't remind her of any god immediatly, neither did his eyes, but the way his cheeks stood high and his nose was pointed, it screamed regal features all around. The goddess knew, deep inside, that the boy was of much importance.

"Why did you ran out of Camp Half-Blood? From what you told me, it has been your home since your first days" the queen asked

"It was impulse, milady. I fought a hellhound and saved my best friend, yet nobody ever came to check up on me. They all paid attention to the new son of Poseidon, a boy called Alex Pond. Everyone is praising him just because he killed the minotaur without any training. I know that's remarcable, but it's not something amazing. I do not mean to brag milady, but I participated in a very close combat with the lieutenant of the hunters of Artemis when I was only seven years old, yet I never received the amount of attention this new demigod receives. And then he was claimed, just a few days after he arrived. Meanwhile, I have been at camp all my life and have yet to be claimed. In all honesty, milady, I just snapped"

Hera knew that there was something the boy was not telling her, but decided not to questioin him further.

"I see" the Olympian said, "I can sense that you have a very strong aura, which means that monsters will be searching for you without rest. Do you wish to go back to Camp Half-Blood tonight?"

"In all honesty, milady, I do not wish to do so" Hector said in a calm voice

Hera nodded in understanding, "Then I do have another option. I have not done this with any demigod, ever, so it will be a great honor if you decide to take my offer. I propose you stay with me in one of my mortal houses. It is enchanted so that it works just like camp barriers, and you will be able to train in the somewhat big backyard. By doing this, however, you will work just like my personal warrior. Whenever I need you to go on a mission, you will do so. Do you accept?" Hera proposed

"I accept milady" Hector responded without a second doubt. "If I may ask, why is it that you have decided to help me, milady?"

Hera smiled warmly, "You remind me of someone I haven't seen in a long time."


	15. Argos

The goddess of the hunt had been unbearable for the past three years. Many beings from all around the Greek world tried to decipher what had made such goddess even angrier, more in an edge than before. Popular theories ranged from the death of a hunter (something which hadn't happened) and that she was in a very long ovulation period, making her PMS last years.

In reality, there were only two reasons why Artemis was in such a horrible mood.

Three years ago, she had gotten in a fight with her husband, Perseus. The couple reconciled, but nothing was ever the same. Artemis doubted her husband, not necessarily infidelity, but in all other aspects. After all, he had been doing very dangerous things without her knowledge and hanging out with one of her Olympian enemies for long periods of time.

Perseus had sworn on the Styx that he would never be unfaithful, and in reality, the goddess of the moon completely believed him. But her trust in him was shattered. As a married couple, she thought they wouldn't have any secrets between each other. She did her part and told him everything that happened in her life, but he couldn't be a good husband and tell her that he was hanging out and helping her nemesis.

She had been very dissatisfied and disappointed in her husband way of life. Ever since he was able to get out of her palace, the god of tides had been very distant from her. They spent time together, sure, but between her duty with her hunters and him changing jobs and location every now and then, Artemis never found any stability with her husband.

When their child was born, Artemis expected for Perseus to be more present in the baby's life, even if he couldn't be there physically. At first, it looked as if Percy was going to do everything possible to look after Hector, their child. However, as time passed by, Artemis noticed that her husband knew nothing of how Hector had been doing. He didn't know that he had mastered the sword and the bow, he didn't know how sad he was when the two demigods that raised him died, and he didn't know when he went missing.

That was the second reason why Artemis had been so unbearable the past years. Two years ago, the day Poseidon's kid was claimed, her son Hector had run away from camp. She noticed the next day and soon asked Apollo to ask Chiron what had happened (to not create suspicion). When the news of Hector's animal and time power arrived at Artemis ears, the silver goddess immediately knew that a great number of monsters would be searching for her child.

The goddess searched for the lost camper without any rest, not telling the hunters what their target was. In the meantime, they killed any monster that dared cross their path. From hellhounds to hydras, to even some werewolves, the hunters of Artemis took no pity on any monster.

After two years of searching, the goddess had started to lessen the search intensity. She still tried to communicate with Hector through his dreams, but to no avail. He little boy was lost in history, only a name that would be remembered.

Worst of all was the fact that Perseus didn't seem concerned at all. Artemis was furious at him. First he didn't know their child was missing, and then he didn't care. This attitude made a rupture in their relationship, which would maybe be healed when she found her son.

Not so far from the hunters, inside a big castle-like school, one boy searched for two demigods.

"What do they look like, Milady?" The boy asked at a mini walkie-talkie, in a much more mature voice than he had a couple of years before

"They are twelve and ten, both with black hair. Remember that they know nothing of our world, so be careful when you retrieve them, we don't want them to ally themselves with the enemy" a woman replied

"Understood Milady"

"Be careful out there Argos" the woman said with concern

"I mean no disrespect, Milady, but why do you insist on not calling me by my name?" The boy asked

"I hated the Troyans, and your whole name reminds me of them. Also, I don't like your middle name, so I will call you Argos. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Milady. I will go retrieve the demigods now" The boy cut off the connection, focusing on the place he was currently at.

The dance floor was mediocre at best. After all, it was a middle school dance. Nonetheless, the students of the academy danced without a care, not paying attention to the unknown boy that stood in the center trying to fit in.

"Where are those two little bastards..." Hector muttered, scanning the whole dance floor. Moments passed before he noticed two figures standing in front of a wall, the shadows hiding them. The boy moved forward towards the siblings, with many students blocking his vision on the way. Once he was able to get off the dance floor, the siblings were gone, and there was no sight of them nearby.

"I hate my life" he grumbled, discreetly searching for the demigod siblings amongst the dancers. The special Hera agent looked around for about seven minutes, and only stopped when he heard some sounds that came from the outside of the school.

The ex-camper speed-walked his way through the crowd, able to exit the building. He found himself on the back part of the school, with a seemingly sad battle going on. The two demigods he was asked to retrieve were together in a corner, away from the fight, while a girl with black hair, who he did not recognize, fought against the manticore that seemed to be attacking them.

Looking at the scene in more detail, he found that the great Alex Pond was sedated and that his ex-best friend Annabeth was also fighting the monster. The monster began to throw some sort of spines, which hit the black-haired girl and put her in the same state Alex was at. Hector knew that the campers needed help, yet he knew that if he helped them, his mission would be sabotaged, and after all, he was but a simple servant of Hera.

Luckily, the boy did not have much of a choice to make when he heard a hunting horn.

"No, it cannot be-" the manticore began to say before he was impaled on the chest by a silver arrow. "Curse you!" He yelled

From the forest, dozens of silver figures started to emerge. All of them had silver parkas and a bow on them, making it fairly obvious who the group was.

"The hunters!" He heard Annabeth say

"Oh wonderful," the black-haired girl said sarcastically

The manticore glared at the figures of the forest. "No fair! Divine intervention is not permitted"

A short, auburn-haired girl with silver eyes stepped forward. "Not so. The hunting of wild beast is within my domain, and you, fowl creature, are a wild beast"

The mixture of pure hatred and fear flashed on the manticores face. The beast then sent some of his spines towards the hunters, just so they could be shot down by the arrows with an accuracy only he, and maybe someone from the Apollo cabin, possessed.

The manticore growled, launching forward to grab the sedated son of Poseidon.

"Noo!" Annabeth yelled, moving in between the campers and the monster.

"Get out of the line of fire" the lieutenant of the hunt commanded, only to be ignored by the demigoddess. Hector saw how the fight was going, studying the time he had until it would end. Deciding to act fast, the fourteen-year-old stopped time for a quick second. He then walked through the battlefield, not looking at either side and grabbed the arm of both siblings. The unclaimed child then pulled the siblings towards a very nearby clearing, where he resumed time.

The siblings looked ultimately confused and scared at the sudden change of environment. Hector, sensing that they were about to scream for help, quickly put his finger on his lips.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you. I know that all looks really weird and scary, but I'm gonna call my boss and make her pick you guys up." Hector said quietly

The girl looked up, revealing her onyx black eyes. "Who are you?"

"My name is Hector Carib Troy, but you can call me Hector, or Carib, or Troy, really whatever you want. I can't tell you much because I don't have much time, but I'm going to talk to my boss and she'll pick you up. Then, she'll explain everything. Sounds good?"

"How can we know that we can trust you?" The girl asked stepping back

"All I can tell you is that one of your parents is an Olympian and that Milady, who is also an Olympian, will pick you up. Now have fun with your bunnies and let me talk to her"

"What bunnies? What do you mean Olympian? Like the gods?" The little boy asked with enthusiasm

"Oh sorry, I forgot to give you the bunnies. Here" Hector closed his eyes for about three seconds, opening them as two black and brown bunnies stepped from the woods and jumping into the demigod's hands. "Those bunnies better make you happy. Now wait here please"

The boy walked a few steps away from the siblings and took out his artifact.

"Milady, I have the two demigods. Should I send you my location?" Hector asked at the Walkie talkie

"No need, I know where you are. I will flash now" the queen of Olympus said. The light-green-eyed boy closed his eyes for a moment, waiting for the flash to occur. He could see a light appearing and then disappearing, signifying the arrival of his patron. "You can open your eyes now, Argos," Hera said

Hector bowed his head at the sight of the queen of Olympus. "Thank you for coming Milady. The demigods are right across those trees" Hector explained

"Great job, I am very proud of you. However, as much as I would like for you to go home, you must return to the fight where all the campers and hunters are,"

"Understood, Milady" Hector replied

"Great," The goddess started to walk away. "And Hector" she turned around, "be yourself when you're with Artemis. She lost someone dear to her, and I have a feeling you might make her feel better"

The goddess smiled as if she knew something the boy did not, but before he could ask her about what she meant, the queen of Gods turned around and kept walking towards the demigod siblings. Sighing, Hector walked towards the backyard of the school, where the fight had been going on. As he arrived, the demigod son of Poseidon was made being knelt, alongside the black-haired demigoddess and Grover.

"Just who the Hades do you think you are?" Alex said angrily.

"You dare!" the lieutenant yelled at the boy, raising her hand as if to slap him

"Wait Zoë, I sense no disrespect. He does not know who I am" Artemis said from behind

Hector took this as the perfect time to make himself known. He walked towards the group, not caring for the number of arrows pointing at him.

"I could sense the disrespect from a mile away, Lady Artemis" Hector said in a calm voice. Zoë Nightshade looked up with fury and pulled an arrow back.

"Who are you boy?" she asked forcefully

"All I'm going to say is that seven years ago, one of your hunters almost killed me while I was fighting you," Hector said yawning, earning the wrath of the hunter, "Oh, and b-t-dubs, boy isn't that good on an insult"

The lieutenant of the hunt let an arrow loose, aiming at the sensitive area of the fourteen-year-old. The arrow looked as if it was going to hit its mark, but then, at the last second, it embedded itself vertically on the ground in front of the boy. The spectators all stood shocked, their minds not processing what they had just witnessed. They knew the lieutenant hadn't missed, but that the boy had somehow messed around with the arrow for it not to land on its target.

"W-wh-what? How did you do that?" the black-haired female camper asked.

"Using my abilities, duh genius" Hector said pointing at his brain, "wait, who are you? You're new to the camp aren't you?"

The girl looked at him in outrage, "New to camp?! I was the tree! And who even are you? I haven't seen you around camp ever!"

"That's because I ran away" the boy calmly replied

"Ran away? So you're a traitor like Luke" the girl said in anger, pulling out her spear.

"What is it with you guys and attacking me? I'm not a traitor, I just ran away because I was tired of not getting claimed after literally spending my entire life there. And then this retard comes and gets claimed in like a week," Hector said pointing at Alex

"Hey! Don't call me stupid. I don't even know you"

"I literally saved your life two years ago!"

"Nope, don't remember"

Hector looked at Artemis' eyes, noticing the surprise they contained, yet deciding not to comment on it. "Is this seriously the guy who is supposed to save us? he asked in mockery

"As of now, Thalia there is the child of the prophecy. If something were to happen to her, then the prophecy would naturally fall on the child of Poseidon" Artemis replied, easily lying to her lost son.

Hector turned to Thalia, "You better take care of yourself"

"Milady! Can we please this insolent boy a lesson?" Zoë Nightshade asked her mistress

"No Zoë. He is the one boy that does not have to bow to me" Artemis answered calmly.

The hunters and demigods all stared in surprise between the goddess and the new boy. The same question lingered in everyone's mind. 'Just who was this boy that Lady Artemis had just told that he needed not to bow'.

"Before you guys ask any further questions, I think I have to introduce myself. My name is Hector Carib Troy and I was a camper for twelve years. Two years ago I ran away from camp, and in the city, someone took me in. So these past few years I've been indirectly helping demigods and trying to find out who my godly parent is, 'cause I'm unclaimed. So yeah, I think that sums everything up" Hector said "Oh, and as for why I don't have to bow down to Lady Artemis, it's because...I don't really know why it is but I do know that it is unwise to question a goddess."

"Wait, you're Troy?" Thalia asked

"That's one of my names, yes. Well, actually, it's my last name. Why?" Hector replied

"I swear every girl was like in love with you. I woke up not so long ago, but every female camper has mentioned you at least once, and how good you were at archery, and how good looking you were"

Hector looked surprised, "Really? Huh, never would've guessed. I was stuck in the Apollo cabin, so like the second best-good-looking cabin. Didn't stand out much. Plus, I only paid attention to one girl" he said sadly

Thalia nodded in understanding and decided not to drag the conversation further in front of the hunters.

"Hunters! Set camp. Hector, come with me. I need to talk about the demigods you sent away" Artemis said seriously, just like a mother who had just found out that her son received bad grades.


	16. Mother conversation

It is not common for someone to be an orphan, less to be a double orphan. In reality, Hector was not a double orphan, but the abandonment by his parents was basically the same thing as if they weren't in this world. Being a double orphan had a certain effect on the young boy, as he became less happy overall. He was still very funny in his own ways, but instead of being a happy go-luck child, the boy used humor as a defense mechanism to keep people at a distance.

It also had the effect of him feeling abandonment very easily, as what happened with his friend Annabeth Chase. As soon as she found another friend, the young camper thought it was the end of their friendship and made the radical decision to run away from camp.

Hector felt very connected to certain people but mostly kept his distance from the rest. Even as much as Hera tried to make him look at her as family, the young boy continued to treat her as her boss. She tried to make him call her Hera or Nana, but the boy insisted on calling her Milady or other titles.

However, Hector found himself talking to Artemis with great familiarity despite the "man-hating" reputation she upheld. As he entered her tent, the sight of dozens of animal pelts amazed the fourteen-year-old. A great number of them he could only identify thanks to the classes Chiron had given him. Still, he felt amazed at the beauty of the tent, but even more amazed by how comfortable he felt in such proximity with the goddess, even at her angry state.

"Sit down Hector" The goddess of the hunt commanded.

The brownish haired boy obliged, sitting down directly in front of the goddess. She stayed studying him, from his expression to the color of his eyes, there was not a single detail which passed unnoticed.

"I am here to ask you several questions, which you will have to answer in complete sentences and explain yourself fully. If you lie I will know, although I can't tell you how I will know. Are you ready to start?" Artemis said once she had breathed

Hector nodded his head, "yes Artemis, I am ready for your questions"

Artemis slightly smiled, "perfect. Now first, where did you sent the demigods?"

"I do not know where they are currently at. However, I do know that my boss has taken them to safety. I believe, although I may be wrong, that she has brought them to their parent in order to fully train them for the war. I could be wrong, so please don't take the last part as true. The rest is what happened" Hector explained where he bought the demigods

"Who is your boss? Is she an ally or an enemy?" Artemis asked forcefully

"I am not permitted to telling anyone her name. I can tell you that, although she was once an enemy of the King of Olympus, her loyalty is not to be questioned. She is on your side in this conflict, and by extension so am I"

"If she was an enemy, would you also be an enemy?"

"In all honestly Artemis, I think I would be an enemy. I have done many incredible feats during my life, yet I have not been claimed. I am not the only demigod that has been forgotten by its parent, and it's time the gods learn their lesson. I know that the bad guy is really bad, but for demigods like me, things couldn't get worse, so we would rather fight for change." Hector replied honestly, making eye contact with the goddess

"Maybe you haven't been claimed in order to protect you," Artemis said, trying to make her son know of the very real possibility

"Even if he or she wanted to protect me, I still lacked the knowledge of who it is. No dreams, no visits, not even a sign. The only gods I've talked to face to face have been my boss, Dionysus cause of the whole punishment thing, and you. But my parent has never even tried to make contact with me. It just sucks honestly. And I know that after we're finished fighting for Olympus, you are all going to keep doing the same things you do and we will continue to be screwed over. No offense"

Artemis put her hand up "None taken, I know how my fellow Olympians can be" she looked at the boy in front of her, his light-green-eyes controlling the tears that threatened to fall. "I must ask, Hector, why did you leave camp?"

"How did you know I left camp?" Hector asked suspiciously

"The way you acted outside made it somewhat obvious." Artemis easily lied

"Oh, yeah I suppose that's true. Honestly, I don't even remember why I left. All I know is that I felt betrayed and mad at my friends and Olympus overall, and I just ran away" Hector replied shortly

Artemis raised an eyebrow, "and freezing a certain centaur trainer in time did not affect your decision at all?"

"How did you know about that?" Hector asked nervously

"I look after you, Hector. I saw what happened that day, and then found out everything I could from Chiron. So, is there anything else you're not telling me?"

"Fine, I was playing capture the flag, and nothing much was happening. Then, we won, but out of nowhere, a hellhound appeared and launched towards Annabeth and Alex" Artemis looked surprised.

"A hellhound inside camp borders would mean-"

"That someone summoned it, yeah I know. Anyways, I launched towards Annabeth and saved her, then I saved Alex by killing the hellhound. I was injured from the fight, but Annabeth noticed that Alex had a cut and so he went into the water, was claimed, yadda yadda yadda. I grew angry at my godly parent and then marched towards Chiron and demanded to know who my parent was"

"And I'm guessing Chiron did not tell you"

"Worse, he told me he had no idea. And I know Chiron, he wouldn't lie to me. So I just became really mad, and one thing led to another, and then suddenly I froze him. He stood unmoving for about thirty seconds until I could unfreeze him. After that, I grew scared of myself and ran towards the city. Once in the city, I was going to sleep in Central Park but then my boss found me. She was kinda mean at first, but then she became really sweet"

Artemis sat there trying to figure out who had been the woman who had taken care of her son for the last two years.

"Was there a certain reason why she became sweet with you?" Artemis questioned, trying to see if the answer to the question might help her figure out who the goddess was

"I don't know. Maybe it was the fact that I instantly showed respect, or maybe the fact that I looked like someone she knew from before." Hector answered

Artemis nodded. "I see"

"She did say something about my ring" The boy muttered, loud enough for the enhanced goddess hearing to pick up.

"What about your ring?" Artemis asked carefully

Hector picked up his necklace and showed the goddess the ring. "She asked me where I had gotten this ring, and after telling her that it was the only thing from my godly parent, she became more welcoming. Throughout the years I've been able to find out that I remind her of another boy, maybe a son or something, but I did not wish to ask her about it"

Artemis' eyes widened in the realization of who was the woman her son answered. It was the same woman she detested for making her mother's life so difficult. The woman who had made her own life difficult, and who was incidentally the mother of her husband.

"Is your boss the Queen of Olympus?" Artemis asked in a hushed voice.

Hector's eyes widened and his mouth gaped. Struggling to make the words come out of her mouth, the young boy nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, it's her. How did you know?"

"Just a feeling. Now answer me, Hector, what powers or characteristics do you believe to have inherited from your parent?" The silver goddess asked, changing the subject

"I would have to say my archery skills, the stopping Chiron thing and controlling wild animals. I'm also quite good with the sword but I don't know if it's because of practice or genetics. Also, the high tides seem to calm me for some reason."

"What about your personality? How would you describe yourself as?"

Hector shrugged his shoulders "I don't know, maybe as funny but also someone who follows instructions. I don't like confined spaces tho, and being close to a lot of people gives me anxiety. I also think of myself as a leader who hates to be told what to do, except when a deity commands me to do so. I can't do much more introspection, forgive me, Artemis"

Artemis waved it off "don't worry"

A comfortable silence fell upon the duo, Artemis studying the physical attributes of her son while he looked at the tent. He had changed since the last time she had seen him two years ago. Instead of a camp half-blood t-shirt, he wore a grey hoodie with a jean jacket on top, and black pants, clearly evidencing the great care Hera had provided. His hair stayed short, but it had become more auburn colored than when he was younger. His stature had also increased, along with his muscles. The only thing that seemed unchanged were his eyes, ever so beautiful. Her little boy had grown into a teenager, one that was able to break many hearts.

"I have one final question Hector if you don't mind. After it, I will call someone to come here and explain what happened with the manticore"

Hector turned his face towards the goddess. "Go ahead"

"If your parents abandoned you in order to protect you, but had been paying close attention to you all these years, would you be able to forgive him or her?"

Hector looked at his necklace for a few seconds, then returned his look to the goddess. "It depends. If he or she has a good excuse and has proven to be there for me, then perhaps I'll be able to forgive. But for now, I do not think I can. After all, the only gods who have done anything for me are Apollo, Hera and you."

Artemis nodded as she grinned a little. "I understand. Now if you'll excuse me for a moment, I have to tell Zoë to bring young Alexander over here, as I have some questions to ask him."

"Is it alright if I stay here? I want to see Alex shitfaced"

"Language!" Artemis scolded

"Sorry"

"Just don't talk with that kind of language. But yeah, you can stay here. Just please don't interrupt me, and don't pay mind to Zoë" Hector nodded at the instructions. He stayed sorted as Artemis exited the tent in search of her lieutenant.

Getting somewhat bored (and very curious), Hector began to look at Artemis' desk. It was a very plain one, with not even a little decoration on it. However, what caught the boy's eyes was a letter addressed to Artemis. Curiosity getting the better of him, Hector extended his arm and grabbed the letter.

As he opened the letter, the tent flap opened, signaling the entrance of the goddess. Before she could look, Hector put the letter on one of the inside pockets of his jacket.

"They should be here shortly. You do not have to worry" Artemis tried to make the boy relax a little.

After waiting for a little while, the tent flap opened, revealing the still-fourteen-year-old huntress and the other fourteen-year-old demigod. Alex sat beside the ex-camper, while Zoë Nightshade sat beside her mistress.

In the following minutes, Alex recalled the whole series of events that occurred during the fight against the manticore. The goddess's face stayed unmoving up until the mention of "The General". Hector looked between Artemis and Zoë Nightshade, who for the first time since he had arrived had stopped glaring at him. They seemed to be very preoccupied with whoever this "General" was.

Hector studied the lieutenant of the hunt facial expression. She went from being a very calculative and cold young woman to a scared little girl. Of course, she was trying to disguise her fear by acting all high and almighty, but just by watching her closely, the facade dropped.

"I must go and hunt this beast," Artemis said breaking Hector from his trance

"You know which beast it is?" he asked the goddess

"I believe so. But, let's pray I'm wrong"

"Can gods pray?" Alex genuinely asked, earning a hint of a smile from Artemis and a jealous look from Hector.

"Zoë, you will be in charge of the hunters in my absence. You will be staying in Camp Half-Blood until my return" Artemis commanded

"But Milady-" Zoë tried to avoid doing her commands

"No buts Zoë. I'm sure Dionysus has forgiven you by now. Besides, I must do this hunt alone"

The hunter nodded and proceeded to exit the tent, leaving both boys alone with the goddess. Artemis turned towards them, looking at Alex with slight distaste and kindly at Hector.

"Let's go outside. Your ride should be getting here any minute now"

As they excited, the rapidness in which the huntresses closed camp surprised the campers. Yes, they had gotten the camp up fast, yet the speed at which they took it down was incomparable.

Alex went towards were Grover and the daughter of Zeus sat. Feeling out of place, Hector walked to the other end of camp and decided to sit next to a tree. He watched in boredom as the hunters prepared to leave and as the campers shared laughs and hateful looks.

"Why don't you join them?" A voice said from beside him. When he turned his head around, he found himself face to face with the same goddess that had interrogated him earlier.

"I don't know, guess I just don't feel part of a group right now. You could say I'm a lone wolf" he chuckled

Artemis looked at him softly, "I know what you mean. You see me around all my hunters, happy and all, but I mostly feel the happiest when I'm alone. However, one day you will find someone who will make you want to be with them all the time, and when you do, you're going to be able to deal with any group of people. Just be patient. But for now, try to integrate more with the group, all right?"

Hector smirked "fine, I'll talk to them on our way to camp."

Artemis noticed how his voice cracked when he mentioned camp. Deciding to use this rare mother-son moment to advise him, she decided to ask him about how he felt.

"Are you nervous about going to camp?" Artemis asked

Hector looked at the ground and began to play with the snow. "Kind of. I'm scared that people will think I'm a traitor, or that Chiron will be afraid of me because of what happened last time. But honestly, I think that deep inside I just don't want to be disappointed with the fact that I won't get claimed."

Artemis had tears close to falling. Thankfully, the fourteen-year-old stayed staring at the ground.

"I'm sure your parent is very proud of you Hector. If I was your mother, I would tell you that you are the best son anyone could ever ask for and that I'm so sorry for not being there for you. You deserve so much more, and you should know that. Be proud of who you are, and don't let hatred define you, because I know that deep down you're a happy child" Artemis said, her voice almost cracking

Hector looked up, his eyes eating Artemis'. A small smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you, Artemis. I'll keep that in mind"

"You better. Now let's go and wait for my annoying brother. He's so lazy during winter"

**I know nothing much happened during this chapter, but it's more of an in-look of how Hector thinks like and why he will act the way he does. Next chapter will have more characters. Anyways,I hope you enjoyed!**


	17. Sun in the sky

The teachings of the divine world have made many mortals and demigods to think that the gods are being that do not engage in petty fighting. They are higher beings that are serious and only care for their domains. However, this not be farther from the truth.

The campers that had engaged in the mission in Maine witnessed this first-hand. They had stumbled upon the hunters of Artemis and Artemis herself, along with a rogue camper. After some time, the goddess Artemis decided to call her brother and ask him to give the demigods and her hunters a lift to Camp Half-Blood. The group waited for a while, as the god of the sun was unusually lazy during the wintertime.

As the sun chariot descended from the sky, everyone (except for Artemis) shielded their eyes from the vehicle. When they opened their eyes, they were greeted with a sports car instead of a traditional chariot. The door of the car opened, revealing a late-teenage boy with blonde hair and shades. He wore a tank top and some shorts, really unusual considering the fact that it was winter.

The presence of the sun god did not have much effect on the hunters, but the campers stood paralyzed at the sight of the god. Especially the black-haired demigoddess, her cheeks blushed a deep crimson red, as she tried to cover her blush with her hands.

"Little sister! You never call, you never write, I was getting worried" The god opened his arms as if he were about to give his twin a big hug

"I literally called you yesterday Apollo. And I'm not your little sister" the goddess of the hunt grumbled

"I'm older than you"

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to have to argue-"

Apollo put his hand up, making his sister stop her speech, "Wait, I feel a haiku coming up"

"_Green grass breaks through snow_

_Artemis pleads for my help_

_I am so cool_" Apollo bowed, expecting for the demigods and hunters to applaud

"That last verse was only four syllables," Artemis said

"Was it?"

"Yes, how about you change it to '_I am so dim-witted_'?"

"No, no, that's six syllables" Apollo continued to think about an alternative for the final verse of his haiku while the lieutenant of the hunt described since when Apollo had such a fascination with haikus.

"I got it! '_I am so awesome_' There, five syllables" Apollo looked very proud of himself as scattered applause resounded from the multitude "So what's up? Do the girls need some archery tips from the god of archery?"

Artemis glared at the god "No Apollo. I wanted to ask you to give my hunters and some of Chiron campers a lift to Camp Half-Blood"

"Oh, sure. Let's see who we have here" Apollo pointed towards the black haired dmigodess, "You're Thalia right?"

"Yes Lord Apollo" Thalia said blushing

"Daughter of Zeus, which makes you my little sister. You were also a tree, but now you're not. Thank gods, I hate when pretty girls get turned into trees" Apollo continued to talk, oblivious to the face Artemis made as she got reminded of Daphne, the girl that was tormented so much by her brother that she had no other choice but to beg to be turned into a tree.

"You're Alex" Apollo stayed some seconds looking directly into the Son of Poseidon's eyes "Be careful with those prophecies"

Apollo then walked towards the hunters, looking at them with fake lust as they threw their most disgusted looks towards him. When he turned to his twin, Apollo noticed the boy who ws standing behind Artemis, but apart from everyone at the same time. The boy looked familiar to Apollo, but he oculd not place who the individual was, no matter how hard he tried.

"And you" Apollo stepped in front of the boy "You look familiar, yet I cannot place you. Who are you?"

The boy bowed respectfully towards the gods, something which surprised everyone who was watching the interaction. "My name is Hector Carib Troy, Lord Apollo. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, and I want to sincerely thank you for letting me stay in your cabin during my stay at Camp Half-Blood."

Apollo's eyes widened as he looked towards his sister, who nodded in confirmation. A wide grin appeared on the god's face, as he hugged the boy for the first time since he was an infant. "Gods Hector, I can't believe you're still here. I thought something had happened when you left camp, or that you had betrayed us. You haven't right?"

"Even if I'm not happy with whoever my godly parent is, betraying Olympus is one of the last things on my priority list, Lord Apollo" Hector replied

Apollo ruffled the boy's auburn-brownish hair, "You don't need to call me Lord Apollo. I'm simply Apollo to you, or even better, you can call me bro."

Artemis walked towards the pair and interrupted the conversation, "Apollo, I know you're excited to see Hector, but please do not corrupt him. His current patron would not be at all happy if he were to be corrupted by you."

"Why? Who is his patron?" Apollo asked in curiosity

Artemis looked at her hunters and then at the campers, who were all looking at the sight in amusement "I'll tell you later. Now, can you give them a ride to Camp Half-Blood brother?"

"I hate when you call me brother. It sounds so fake, like if you don't know how siblings talk to each other" Apollo complained

Artemis crossed her arms, "you call me Little sister all the time"

"That's different"

"How so?"

"Well for starters..." the twins began to bickered around like little kids. The campers looked at the scene with wide eyes, as they hadn't imagined the gods to behave like, well, people. Here were two Olympians, two major gods, fighting over something so minimal as to what they call each other.

"Excuse me, Apollo and Artemis, I hate to interrupt here, but I believe we have to get going. Forgive me for intruding in your personal business" Hector said bowing. Both gods stopped their childish fighting and stared at the boy with pride.

"You're right Hector. We should get going. So, campers and hunters, all aboard the SS Apollo, the quickest and hottest method of transportation. Patent pending" Apollo said as he made his sports car turn into a school bus. The hunters entered first, positioning themselves in the back of the bus, while the campers sat in the front.

Both twins looked as Hector got on the bus, watching how much the little boy they once knew had grown into a young man.

"The Queen of Olympus has been looking after him these past two years," Artemis said, her eyes not leaving the bus door.

Apollo's eyes widened as he turned towards his twin "her?! But I thought she hated everyone and everything"

Artemis shrugged her shoulders "Apparently he reminds her of a son of her, who is incidentally his father"

"Why are you acting so weird towards him now? You know he never was cheating, and he will never do so." Apollo asked

Artemis sighed, "I know, but he was hiding so much from me. He was saving the kids of another goddess while he didn't even take a look into our son's life. It was like, once Hector was taken to Camp Half-Blood, all the ties he had with him were cut. I told him to visit him in dreams or something, but he never did anything. He found out that Hector had run away three months after it happened. Three months Apollo. I love my husband, I really do, but I am just so disappointed in him that I'm afraid that I may never look at him the same way I did."

Apollo hugged his sister, feeling his chest get wet from the eyes of the goddess. "Don't worry, Artemis. Everything will be alright, I know it. And Percy cares a lot for his son, even if he does not automatically show it, I know deep inside he cares."

Artemis pushed herself from Apollo's embrace, and wiped her eyes, "Thank you Apollo. You should get going, the inside of that bus may be a war zone right now"

"Yeah, be careful Artemis," Apollo said as he saw his sister run towards the forest. "I know you won't go until you can't see the bus anymore. You care for him too much to do that" Apollo muttered to himself.

The ride to Camp Half-Blood was chaotic, to say the least. The sun god had the grand idea of giving one of the campers the key to the sun chariot, allowing the camper to drive. Unfortunately for everyone, Apollo chose Thalia, since she was a daughter of Zeus and they would be cruising the skies. However, this did not happen in the least.

The daughter of Zeus sped of so much that she almost burnt the east coast of the United States. Fortunately, before she could do any more damage, the god eased her in and the group arrived at Camp Half-Blood in one piece. One by one, the campers and hunters got off the bus, some full-on puking from the bad trip they just had.

Apollo looked at the group and stifled a laugh, as he knew that Artemis would kill him if he knew that her hunters and son had been in any kind of danger.

"Apollo, can I ask you something before you go?" a voice said from behind the sun god. When he turned, he stared at the auburn-brownish-haired boy who had just asked him a question.

"Sure, what is it?" Apollo replied

The boy looked at his hands, his fingers playing with each other in nervousness, "I know that you helped me when I was a baby, and I am extremely grateful for that. But I was wondering, do you know who my godly parent is?"

Apollo opened his mouth to reply, yet no words came out. He could not lie to his nephew, not only because it was wrong but also because he physically couldn't lie. The best he could do was take the advice he had given his sister all those years ago for himself, tell a half-truth and pray that no further questions are asked.

"I only knew of him from the name, but I personally did not know who it was," Apollo said

"Then, can you give me his name at least? I promise I won't bother you anymore after this" Hector begged

"I'm sorry Hector. I truly wish I could tell you, but unless he wants you to know, I am not allowed to do so. But do know this, your parent has been looking over you all these years. Your parent has changed in many ways since your birth, and no matter what you do, your parent will always be proud of you. Now go, I believe you have to apologize to a certain centaur" Apollo said

Hector sighed loudly and nodded his head, "Ok, thank you anyways Lord Apollo"

"Just Apollo"

"Sorry, thank you, Apollo. Hope to see you later again" Hector went walking in the same direction the other members of the group had gone.

"Now off to see your other parent" Apollo muttered to himself as he got into the sun chariot, once it had turned into a sports car.

The house in Orlando that had once been a very happy place now reeked in misery. The plants surrounding it were overgrown, the paint had not been renovated, and the car in the garage had not been moved an inch since at least a year ago. Inside the house sat a man, well, a god to be technical. The god had been moping around for two years, only going out to do his special missions.

Perseus, the god of the tide, time, humor, and many other things sat in his sofa rewatching "White Chicks" for the 12th time that week. Ever since he had the big discussion with Artemis, his wife, his life had been going downhill. He no longer had any motivation to work on his business or do any job, and due to him having a lot of money, the god just stayed in the house doing nothing. He had tried to reconcile with Artemis, but as soon as she found out that he had no idea what had happened to their son, the hopes of a happy future were flushed down the toilet.

He had written her several cards every day, hoping that she would read them and give their love another chance. Six months had passed since then, and as more time passed, the god became even more depressed.

The doorbell rang thrice, and the god of childhood got up from his very comfortable position to answer the door. He opened it, coming face to face with his brother-in-law.

"Dude, you need to shave," Apollo said, inviting himself in the house. Perseus sighed as he closed the door.

"What are you doing here Apollo?" Perseus asked

"What? Is it not possible that I wanted to see my brother-in-law?"

"You and I both know that we're not going to be in-laws for much longer"

"Don't be so negative little brother" Apollo smiled at the god of tides

"What do you want?" Perseus asked, getting tired of the sun god barging into his house

"I just wanted to visit, is that so wrong? I was in the area and remembered you lived nearby, and so I decided to come and share a cup of coffee with you. As far as I know, there is nothing wrong with doing that"

"Apollo, you hate Orlando, and you know that I hate coffee. How you managed to lie there is beyond me, but please just cut to the point. I have a very busy day planned"

"Busy like replaying the same movie all day?" Apollo raised an eyebrow

"It's a good movie" Perseus defended

Apollo turned to look at Perseus in the eyes.

"Percy, do you love my sister?"

Perseus was taken aback by the question

"What?"

"You heard me. Do you love my sister?"

"Is this some kind of trick question? Because I'm really not-"

"Do you fucking love my sister or not!?" Apollo asked angrily

"Yes, I love her" Perseus answered quickly but sincerely

"Would you do anything for her?" Apollo then questioned

"What are you going towards Apollo?"

"Would you, or would you not, do anything for her" Apollo said, taking big pauses between phrases

"Yes, I would do anything for her" Perseus said seriously

Apollo looked at Perseus for a few seconds before nodding in acceptance.

"Good, because in two days we are going to be breaking a great number of Ancient Laws. So shave up and suit up, cause the Bro's are going on their first clandestine business"

"Wait, what's happening in two days?" Perseus asked his brother-in-law

"Can't tell you, sorry. But one thing's for sure, you will help me with the business, alright?"

"Why would I?" Percy crossed his arms

"Because it's for Artemis"


	18. Dreaming at night

Hector walked through Camp Half-Blood, oblivious to the look every camper sent him. A combination of shock, betrayal, and fear marked the campers, as the boy who had run away returned to his once home. Nobody knew why Hector had run away, but after many campers followed suit, some people thought that he had joined the Titan army. Others thought that the depression of not knowing who his parent was made him kill himself out of camp borders.

In the end, all hypothesis were wrong, as the light-green-eyed boy walked through the camp, making his way into the Big House. Hector sighed before entering the big house, dreading the moment he decided to come again to Camp Half-Blood. When he entered, he was greeted with the same Big House which he had left, perfect to the last detail. Remembering his way around the house, the boy walked inside Chiron's office, interrupting a meeting between the centaur, the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Zeus.

"And where's Annabeth?" Chiron asked.

Hector's heart pounded harder at the sound of her name. No matter how much time passed, he would still be ultimately in love with the daughter of Athena. Unfortunately, this may have been only a one-sided love, as Annabeth seemed very _lovey-dovey _with Alex.

The demigods did not answer, leaving Chiron to speculate an answer for himself.

"Oh, well, another brat gone. Better for everyone" Mr. D, who was sitting behind Chiron, said. His voice showed no remorse or care about the events that had transpired, they were simply things that had happened.

"We need to go find her" Alex declared

"No. As much as I'd love to see you go to your inevitable doom, we can't allow any more campers to get away" Mr. D replied, shutting down any hope the demigods might've had of saving their friend

"You just don't care about any of the campers! You'd gladly see us all die!" Alex yelled.

The god of wine turned red in rage. He got up of his chair, his nostrils flared with hot anger. But before he could yell at the son of Poseidon, Hector entered the small room and bowed to his mentor and the god.

"Hello Chiron, Lord Dionysus, it has been a long time since I've seen the both of you," Hector said respectfully

"Hector, my child, how have you been?" Chiron asked as he gave a hug to the child he once thought of as something close to a son

"Back from betraying the gods are you Hiram?"

"I never betrayed the camp, Lord Dionysus. And my name is Hector, not Hiram" the boy replied, "I have been doing well Chiron. I will tell you all about it in private"

Chiron nodded his head and shooed the demigods our of the room. They reluctantly exited, not before sending hateful glares at the auburn-brownish haired boy.

"Lord Dionysus, could you please leave us to talk for a few minutes?"

"Fine, but I'm only doing this because I don't care" Dionysus exited the room, closing the door behind him and leaving the centaur and the 14-year-old alone.

"Before anything, I must apologize Chiron. I have no idea how I stopped you from moving that last time, and I swear it wasn't my intention. I am sorry for anything that I may have done to you" Hector said bowing his head in shame

"Hector, look at me," Chiron said, making the boy bring his head up "you don't have to apologize for your abilities. But you should know that I would've been there for you, there was no need to run away so suddenly. Many people thought you had betrayed us when you left, and some might still believe it. So, to end any bad talk, may you tell me why you went away and where have you been?"

Hector looked at the wall, where many paintings of different scenery are hanged. Most of them did not make the boy feel anything special. However, two paintings, in particular, made the boy feel something deep inside his soul. The first one was a painting of the woods, with three deers and a couple of small mammals living in harmony. The other one was a simple view of a beach, with many waves perfect for hunting. On the top part of the painting, the silver moon shone brightly on the beach. He always loved to wonder if perhaps the moon had something to do with the number of waves the painting had.

Shaking his head, Hector decided to reply to the questions the centaur had asked.

"Guess I just felt lost that day. Friends drifting apart, the claiming of someone I saved, new abilities, it all just kind of explored that day. I felt afraid also, thinking I might've hurt you in some way or another if I stayed. That day I arrived in New York City, where I met my current boss. For the past few years, she has given me shelter and very good training, she has helped me deal with my emotions and has taught me how to be a perfect gentleman. I am very grateful for her."

Chiron scratched his beard, thinking of who this "boss" could be.

"May you tell me her name?" Chiron asked the boy

As Hector opened his mouth to reply, the walkie-talkie began to talk.

"_Hector, I permit you to tell Chiron about me. However, do not tell the campers, as they might not view it in such a great light, or other gods. The only gods you're allowed to tell are Artemis and Apollo, just because they already know. Nobody else, understood?_"

"Yes Milady," Hector said

Turning his head towards his old mentor, the ex-camper told the name of the last goddess Chiron would've expected.

"I have had the guidance of Lady Hera through these years. She is my patron and I respond first to her, then to Olympus. She is the reason why I am still alive today, and for that, I owe her my eternal gratitude. I hope you understand why I haven't returned to camp earlier, Chiron" Hector said bowing his head in shame

"There is no need for apologies Hector, I'm just glad you're safe" Chiron smiled "now come with me outside, you have to get reacquainted with some of the campers"

The mentor and pupil went outside in sync, walking through the camp, watching the interaction of the campers with the hunters. The camp did not have many campers during the winter months, there were probably around fifteen, twenty tops. Amongst them were the Stoll brothers, who Hector briefly remembered for their mischief, Silena Beauregard, the daughter of Aphrodite and who Hector considered a sister and his ex-cabin mate Lee Fletcher. The light-green-eyed boy debated whether or not he should greet his old friends, but decided to do so later. For now, the boy opted to stay close to Chiron and far away from any hunters that might want to question him.

The rest of the day went by quickly, as Hector reunited with his old friends. Some campers (specifically the Ares cabin) started to accuse the teen of joining the titans, but with the support from Chiron, such accusations did not accomplish anything.

The traditional Capture The Flag game of campers vs hunters was scheduled for the next night, as tensions between the two groups grew. The hunters glared at everyone, lessening their glare when it came to a girl. But nobody was getting glared at harder than Hector Troy, the boy who talked without formalities to Lady Artemis and lived to share it.

Quickly enough, the time for sleep had arrived at the camp and every being entered their respective cabin. Many demigods had a dreamless sleep, sleeping soundly throughout the night. However, three beings did not rest so peacefully.

Zoë Nightshade, lieutenant of the hunters of Artemis, woke up startled due to a vision in her dreams. In it, she saw how her mistress was captured by the enemy, leaving the Olympians and the hunters in great vulnerability.

Alexander Pond, the son of Poseidon, dreamt of his lost friend Annabeth Chase. The girl, who had gone MIA, had appeared in the vision holding up what seemed to be extremely heavy clouds. He did not know what the clouds were, but he knew that her rescue was essential for the future.

Instead of having a vision during his dream, Hector Carib Troy got visited by three gods in his dreams. Soon after the teen had fallen asleep, his mind began to imagine a forest, where dozens of animals roamed about. The teen walked peacefully in it, inhaling the refreshing scent of pure air. Animals walked beside him as they crowned him their leader, the trees sang with the breeze that passed through their leaves, and the moon shone brightly under the starlit sky.

"Hope you like this place," a man said startling Hector. Sitting on a log at the right of the teen, a man in late twenties drew some designs on the dirty floor of the woods.

Hector walked warily towards the man, calculating the easiest way to defend himself in case the man decided to attack. "Who are you?"

"My wife loves this place. It is her favorite place. The place where our child was born, far away from society, where only a certain amount of people could come and aid" the man continued to say, drawing stick figures on the floor

Hector took his bow and aimed an arrow at the man, "I asked, who are you"

"Even if you launched that arrow, no damage would be caused by it. After all, this is your dream"

"Usually my dreams aren't intruded by people I don't know" Hector continued to aim at the man

"Alright, drop the bow and I'll tell you my name and why I've visited you this night," the man said looking at the teen and putting his hand up

Hector lowered his bow carefully and placed it on the floor, maintaining eye contact with the stranger.

"So, tell me your name"

The man sighed, lowering his hand and sitting with his back straight. "My name is Perseus, and I have visited you today to ask you for your aid"

"Aid in what? I've never heard your name except for the guy who killed Medusa, and I somehow doubt that's you" Hector said, looking at the man carefully

"A very important person has been put in danger and the quest won't be issued until tomorrow night. If we wait too long, the chances of saving this goddess would be put in jeopardy, and there is no way I can allow that. As for who I am, I am a god forgotten by most and banished by the King of Gods. However, I do not ally myself with the Titans, so do not think of me as an enemy"

"Goddess? Which goddess is in danger" Hector asked

"My sister, Artemis," another voice said behind Hector. Turning around, the teen came face to face with the god of the sun and medicine. "She has been captured tonight"

"Wait, Artemis?! Artemis is captured?!" Hector asked/screamed

"Yes, Artemis is captured. And because we don't really trust the campers to do a good job, we will be taking matters into our own hands. However, we know that us alone will not be enough to save her, so we are asking your assistance today" Perseus said

"What my friend Percy has said is true. We need to save her as quickly as possible if we want to be effective" Apollo said, walking towards where Perseus was now standing, "And because we are gods, there is no way we are going to be able to rescue Artemis on our own without being noticed. But you, you will be able to do it without being noticed, just how you've done multiple other tasks before"

"Another problem was that Apollo here told me that whatever would happen was going to occur in two days, so I was mentally prepared for that. But now, I gotta be ready by yesterday" Perseus said putting an arm around the sun god

"I'm good at music, not math, so sue me" Apollo defended himself

"Whatever dude, whatever." Perseus turned his vision to Hector, who was looking at the pair of gods with a distant look in his eyes, "so, Carib, are you in?"

"I still don't know who you are, or how you know my middle name. Nobody calls me by it" Hector said

"I already told you, I'm Perseus. And as to how I know your middle name, it's basic knowledge for someone who's about to ask you a favor" Perseus grinned

"What are your domains?"

"All in due time child. Now, are you in or out?" Perseus replied

"I would love to help you, trust me that I would, but I need to follow the orders of my patron. If she allows me, then I will take your proposal and save Artemis, whether I live or die is not important as long as Artemis is saved." Hector said, clenching his fist

The gods sighed in understanding, "we understand. If you get permission, meet us in front of the Toys R Us in Manhattan at 8 am tomorrow" Perseus said

Hector nodded, "will do"

"Great, we'll be waiting," the gods said, flashing out and leaving the teen alone with his thoughts.

"Who was able to kidnap Artemis? Is she ok? I'll kill whoever lays a finger on her" Hector muttered

"I did not know little Argos was so protective over Artemis," a woman said in front of him. Focusing his vision on the woman, the teen quickly recognized the Queen of Olympus. He bowed quickly and greeted the goddess respectfully, "Lady Hera, a pleasure to have you here"

"Oh get up Argos. How many times do I have to tell you not to bow to me?" The goddess of marriage joked

"My apologies Milady. Why have you come to visit me in my dreams tonight?" Hector asked the goddess

"I know what has happened. Know that I give you permission to save Artemis."

"Thank you, I am eternally grateful Milady" Hector bowed his head

"Do not thank me. It is simply your duty to help the Olympians. However, may I ask you one thing?"

"Of course Milady"

"Why is it that you are so protective over a goddess? Especially someone like Artemis, considering her reputation?" Hera asked the boy

Hector sighed "I do not know completely, but something inside me screams at me to help her. It is like a switch that makes me instantly want to save her as if she was family. I know that I have not talked to her much and that she hates all males, but I will never forget how she nursed me when I was a little boy. The image of her nurturing me is stuck in my mind, and no matter what happens, the safety of Artemis will always be one of my top priorities"

Hera smiled, "I understand. Now rest Argos, as I know that these next few days will be very tiresome for you"

"Thank you for your support Milady. I will keep in contact with you" Hector said, the forest swirling, losing its form

"One more thing before you go Argos," Hera said, "don't call me Milady, call me Nama"

Hector nodded, looking at the silhouette of his patron with confusion.

As quickly as the forest formed, the abandoned boy drifted to a dreamless sleep for what remained of the night. Meanwhile, the Queen of Olympus stayed staring at the sleeping figure of the boy who she had taken care of for the past two years.

"No matter if you do not know about it, you still love your mother very much" she muttered, a silent tear falling from her eye.


	19. Rescue plan

Winter in New York is a magical time for the average child. The snow makes it possible for children to make snowmen in Central Park, there is no school, and it is close to Christmas so they behave well in anticipation of a present. For the adults, it is like any other season with the exception that it's really cold.

The two beings that awaited in front of the Toys R Us, however, were neither _adults _or _children. _In all senses, the two gods were the definition of _a manchild_. The perfect (or horrible) combination between children and adults, but also being immortal.

The blonde-haired god stood unaffected by the cold, with only a light jacket to blend in with the rest of the people in the city. He stood drinking an orange juice, his eyes following every attractive female that passed by him.

To his right stood the other god, his black hair covering most of his forehead, but not long enough for his green eyes to be covered. He stood sipping a hot chocolate, wearing at least two heavy-duty coats. He glared at Apollo, his mind full of anger.

"This is the Toys R Us in Manhattan right?" Apollo asked the god beside him

"Unless there is another awesome store with tons of toys and a Ferris wheel inside it in Manhattan, then yes, this is it," Perseus said

"What time is it?"

"8:07" Perseus replied without skipping a beat

"How'd you know that?"

"God of time"

Apollo nodded in understanding. "How much longer are we going to stand here? This coat is making me hotter than I usually am" he asked

"Until nine-thirty if necessary. If he doesn't arrive at that time, we will have to do the work without him. And don't even think about complaining about the weather, I'm the one freezing to death here" Perseus sipped his hot chocolate, trembling uncontrollably

"You can't die"

"Sometimes I wish I could. That way I could start over with everyone and nobody would be mad at me" Perseus sighed

Apollo, sensing the distress his brother-in-law felt, threw away his orange juice and proceeded to stand in front of him.

"Dude, tell me what's troubling you. Remember that I'm the god of medicine, and psychiatry is a branch of medicine, so I might be able to help you." Apollo grabbed Perseus shoulder

Perseus sighed, looking deep into the eyes of Apollo, "I don't know how Artmemks feels towards me anymore, and it's killing me, especially considering that one of my domains is feelings. Besides that, the whole situation of my wife being in danger and my son coming here to help us rescue her, it's almost too much to comprehend. Even after we rescue her, I don't know what the fates might have in store for us. Will I be able to tell my son who I really am? Will Artemis take me back? There are so many questions I have"

Apollo nodded and hugged his friend. Perseus stiffened, not used to any male having much physical contact with him.

"I know it's a lot in your mind right now, but try to do everything day by day. Don't rush too much into the future, enjoy the moment. Tomorrow will arrive at its time, but it will not be useful if you don't make today count" Apollo told breaking off the hug

"Thanks, Apollo"

"I'm not done. I diagnose you with ADHD, Depression, anxiety, personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and if my vision is correct, you'll soon have PTSD. Your medication is listed here, go to your nearest pharmacy when it is most convenient with your busy schedule. The therapy session and prescription will give us a total of 80,000 drachmas, but with the special family discount, it'll only be 70,000" Apollo put his hand in front of him, moving his fingers in a _give me money _motion.

"You can't be serious Apollo" Perseus scoffed

"I don't kid about business. Besides, I know you're loaded. The equivalent of 175 dollars isn't much to you. So quit whining and pay"

"What if I decide not to pay?"

"I may conveniently remember and tell my dear sister about your date with Athena" Apollo grinned

"You know it wasn't on purpose" Perseus glared

"That's true, but considering how mad my sister is at you, surely she will not listen to logic"

The god of tides glared while the sun god simply grinned, suppressing the laugh that threatened to escape.

"So this is the right Toys R Us. I gotta say, I did not imagine a Ferris wheel inside the store," a teenager said behind Apollo. The sun god sidestepped and turned around, revealing the Hera patronized boy. He wore the same outfit as last time Apollo had seen him, with only a blue backpack to conceal his weapons.

"Carib, you decided to come," Perseus said relieved

"First of all, don't call me Carib. Second of all, I always wanted to come, I simply got permission. Now, are we going to save Artemis or are we staying in the city and going to a strip club?" Hector glared at Perseus

"As much as I'd like to take you to a strip club, we must save my sister. So come on Hector, we need to tell you our plan" Apollo said, turning around and walking away from the other two individuals

"Are we supposed to follow him?" Hector asked Perseus

"Yep. You'll get used to it after a while" Perseus said smiling kindly. Hector rolled his eyes and followed behind his uncle. The god of tides sighed at his son's attitude, and walked just behind him.

The trio walked through the city indistinguishable from the rest of the population. They walked many blocks, surpassing the commercial Manhattan and entering more the residential part of the city. Apollo stopped in front of a townhouse, waiting for the rest of the group to stop with him.

"Why are we here?" Hector asked

"I have an apartment here. Let's go in, nobody will be able to spy on our conversation if we do" Apollo replied taking out some keys and opening the door to the building. The god of tides and the teen were hesitant to enter the building, unsure and afraid of what they might find inside the apartment of a god such as Apollo.

"We don't have time for you two to be cowards. Now come on, we gotta tell the plan" Apollo said annoyed, entering the building himself and leaving the other two outside. Perseus looked at Hector, moving his arms towards the building in a '_you first_' movement. The teen rolled his eyes and entered the building, the god of tides following closely behind him.

The inside of Apollo's apartment was very bright, to say the least. The windows seemed to be facing east and west, so the sun would always be entering the most obnoxious angle. The furniture was all white and, like any normal household, facing the tv. Apollo took off his jacket, revealing his sweaty body despite the cold temperature.

"You weren't kidding when you said you were hot" Perseus muttered

Apollo smirked at his friend and walked towards the bathroom, "Perseus, your wife wouldn't appreciate it if you had an affair with me"

"Shut up," Perseus said, sitting down in a cushioned chair. Hector, looking at the interaction between the two gods, decided to sit down on a small sofa, or what some would call a _loveseat_.

"I wouldn't sit there if I were you, Hector," Apollo said coming out of the bathroom with his face wet.

"Why not?" he questioned

"I haven't cleaned that in a while, so its quite a miracle that it hasn't shattered. "

"I don't-wait...ew gross!" Hector jumped out of the seat and ran towards the bathroom, cleaning his pants where they came in contact with the loveseat.

"You had time to go to a concert in Salt Lake but not to clean up your place?" Perseus asked his brother-in-law

"Priorities my friend. Now let's just wait for the little kid to finish his panic attack so we can tell him the plan" As soon as Apollo finished his sentence, Hector came out of the bathroom looking extremely mad at the gods.

He stood close to the chair where Perseus was sitting, his arms crossed and his foot tapping the floor. "So, do we have a plan?"

"Don't tap your foot on the floor, it reminds me of a disappointed Artemis and that gives me PTSD" Perseus said, cringing at the sound.

"How do you know Artemis?" Hector asked suspiciously

"That's a story for another time Carib."

"Don't call me Carib" Hector interrupted

"Now, the plan is fairly simple. You see, Artemis is being held captive over in California. The easiest way to rescue her would be to fly over to San Francisco and then rent a car over to where she's at, fight some bad guys in their weakest moment, and then bring Artemis back to Olympus before the winter solstice. Do you see the flaw in this plan?"

"That I don't have a passport so we can't take a plane?" Hector said

"You don't have a passport? We should fix that. After this mission, I'm taking you to apply for a passport, and you don't have a say in it. But as I was going to say, the reason why we can't travel by air is that it'll bring too much attention to the King of Gods, which we don't want."

"Why don't we want that?" Hector asked

"My dad and my bro aren't in the best of terms" Apollo replied

"Exactly, he still doesn't know I got back from my banishment. Point is, we can't travel by air, so we have to take the fastest route by land, which is the railroad. The same one that killed hundreds of people in its making, exploited cheap Chinese labor, and brought an end to Native American Civilizations. Ahh, America"

"You're proposing that you, Apollo and I travel by train all the way to California? That'll take us more time than if we take a car!"Hector complained

"Under normal circumstances, yes. But, if we take it. the special train made by yours truly, then it'll only take us about a day, give or take. With a special technology called "Speedy Way", it is possible to travel such a great distance in such a short time." Perseus said confidently

"And you're confident that nothing will be in the way, damaging said train in the middle of nowhere or anything, right?" Hector narrowed his eyes

"Of course, nothing can stop my train. I may not be the god of transportation, but I make good stuff. After all, I invented the TV"

"Stop lying Percy. The fact that you had a TV before anyone else does not mean that you created it" Apollo cut off his brother-in-law

"Yes it does"

"No, it doesn't. You should start being honest with Hector. After all, you're going to spend the next day together alone"

"Wait, what?" Hector asked

"I can't accompany you because my dad is keeping track of me. He told me, and I quote, '_Don't you dare help the questers helping Artemis. If I ever see you outside of New York, or helping in some way the rescue mission, there will be severe consequences. I don't care if she's your sister, or how awesome you are, or how big of a hit with the ladies you are, you are forbidden from helping out._'" Apollo said, making a gruff voice when he imitated Zeus' voice

"He did not say that" Perseus laughed

"I may have exaggerated a little, but the endpoint is the same. I can't help you out directly, so you two are on your own." Hector scoffed at Apollo's statement

"Why are you such a brat towards me? You know that I am a god, and I deserve to be treated as such" Perseus said, standing up from his chair and staring straight into the teen's eyes. Hector glared, not being intimidated by the proximity of the god.

"I know that you're a god and that I should respect you, yet I get the feeling that you're the type of god that impregnates a woman and then leaves his demigod forgotten. The same type of god which I despise, the same type of god which my parent is."

"How dare you?!" Perseus said, his head red with anger

"Am I wrong?" Hector asked. Perseus hesitated with his answer, leaving Hecto clear with who he was facing. "Look, my Lord, all I ask is that we save Artemis the quickest way possible and that you don't attempt to make much contact with me in the meantime. It shouldn't be too hard. Now let's get going, we don't have all month" Hector said, moving away to grab his backpack. "Goodbye Apollo, thanks for everything. I'll be waiting downstairs"

The gods looked at the teen walking away from the apartment, his shadow diminishing with every step he took.

"Well, I guess he got Artemis temper and prejudice." Apollo joked, stoping his laughs when he saw the distressed face of Perseus. "Cheer up bro, he'll lighten up eventually. Now go, you don't want to keep him waiting" Apollo patted his back, flashing out of the apartment.

"He isn't even going to lock his place...and I'm the irresponsible one" Perseus sighed, exiting the apartment.

The god of tides walked downstairs, thinking of ways he could bond with his son without summoning the great rage that was peculiar of his mother.

Hector stood in the middle of the sidewalk, with his hands inside his pockets, receiving the warmth of the wool inside of it.

"You ready to roll?" Percy asked the teen

"Lead the way," Hector said in distaste. Percy decided to ignore the tone and put an arm around Hector's shoulders.

"Next stop, Percy's Train Express, powered with Speedy Way technology. Destination, Cali"

"We're not going to Colombia," Hector said

"Lighten up, you're stuck with me for a full day, better make the best of it."

The god of tides and Hector walked through the crowd, their pace becoming faster as a silent competition between them began to take place. Casual steps turned into trotting, which evolved into a full sprint through the city. It was hard to see, but Perseus had a big smile on his face, feeling a connection with his son for the first time in his life.

Hector also had a smile, also feeling a weird connection with the god. For some reason, running with the god and competing with him made him feel wanted and loved, even if the god was a complete stranger to the teen.

"Stop, we're here," Perseus said, quickly coming to a full stop. Hector, not hearing the words, collided with the back of the god

"Ugh, why are we stopping?" Hector asked. Persues simply lifted his arm and pointed in front of him.

There, in the middle of the city, stood a silver train with green and blue linings around it. It had around ten train cars, each other easily a hundred foot long and thirty feet wide.

"How has nobody noticed this gigantic train in the middle of the city?" Hector asked the god

"The mist truly is a wonderful thing. Now come on, we need to save Artemis" Perseus said, walking to the inside of the train.

"Why does he care so much for Artemis?" Hector asked himself, unaware of the severe consequences the answer to his question would bring.


	20. Nebraskan Motel

The rescue team, consisting of Perseus and Hector, stood stuck in the middle of rural Nebraska. Miles and miles of corn surrounded them, with the nearest person probably miles away. It turned out that some technical difficulties made the Perseus train to damage itself, stopping the quest for a while.

Perseus led the way to the nearest barn, or at least the minimal sign of civilization they could find. Hector, trailing not so far behind, walked with his arms crossed and shivering from the cold.

"How the fuck are these plants still alive in this cold?! Such a great life, staying still and waiting for a farmer to take your fruit. I wish I was corn" Hector muttered

"Then it seems today could be your lucky day," A woman said behind him. An average height blonde woman with brown eyes stood studying the teen.

Perseus, noticing that his son had not kept up, turned around to scold him. But, when he did, the face of a curious goddess of the harvest was met.

"Now, what are your names and what are you doing in my plantation?" Demeter glared at the two males

Hector bowed, showing respect to his superior, "Lady Demeter, it is truly an honor to be in your presence. Your beauty truly exceeds its reputation"

Ignoring the boy, Deméter continued to glare at the god of tides, who stood paralyzed in front of her.

"Well? Are you going to pay your respect to me or shall I turn you into one of these corn plants?" Demeter told Perseus

"I do not have to bow to a fellow god Demeter" Perseus calmly said

Demeter's eyebrows furrowed, "God? Who are you?"

"I'm Perseus" he simply replied

"Never have I heard of you. Are you a minor god? If so, where does your allegiance lie?" Demeter questioned the god of tides

"I'm not an Olympian, but I don't know if I'm a minor god. I'll say I am a minor god just because. As to my allegiance, I stand with my family"

"And who is your family?"

Perseus smiled, "why Olympus of course. My two parents are Olympians and all my friends are part of the council"

Demeter let out a breath she did not realize she was holding, "good. What are you doing here Perseus, especially with a camper? You surely know this is against ancient laws."

"Hector here was on a solo quest, and I being the good person I am, decided to help him. However, before you burst an ovary, technically I found a loophole in the law which enables me to help Hector here" Perseus kicked Hector, who was still bowing, "get up already"

Demeter glared at the god of tides, "and what is this loophole that you're talking about?"

"Simple, Hector is still a child, and one of my domains is childhood. Therefore, I am just making my domain and charge stays in order" Perseus grinned

"I still don't trust you," Demeter said

"Oh please! I get it, Persephone is away and you're lonely, boohoo. That doesn't mean the rest of us men are like the little king of goths there. Gods, who would say that you're not the manhater. At this point Artemis seems to be more of a normal woman than you" Perseus joked, pushing the buttons of Demeter.

"Don't you compare me to her! I have children of my own while she only has that group of lesbians!" Demeter yelled angrily, feeling insulted with the words that Perseus had just thrown at her.

Hector suddenly became enraged, "I dare you, goddess, speak one more word about Artemis and you'll regret it"

As the goddess was about to reply, a growl from behind her made her turn around. Right in front of her stood a mountain lion, growling in hunger and showing its shiny and sharp fangs. Demeter, truly afraid of the animal, backed away until she was behind the two males.

"I'm sorry about what I said, just make it go away"

Hector stepped towards the lion and put a hand in front. The mountain lion, smelling the fingers of the teen, walked towards him and began to purr at the body of the teen.

"Aww, you're just a cute little buddy, right? Who's a good boy?" Hector baby talked the mountain lion

"Who the Hades is your godly parent?!" Demeter yelled

"Shhh, you don't want to make the lion startled, now do you?" Perseus said smiling

"There's something odd about you too, and I won't rest until I have found out what it is," Demeter said before flashing out

"So I guess that's my aunt" Perseus muttered

The god of tides stood staring at Hector, who played with the mountain cat, as one would with a cat, except that we couldn't carry it.

"You're just so cute Missu," Hector said in a high pitched voice

"Missu?" Perseus snorted

"Yes, Missu. Got a problem with it? Cause he doesn't. Do you Missu?" The mountain lion did a weird sound which Perseus took as a _no_.

"What do you mean you don't like Miss?" Hector asked the mountain lion. "Fine, then what about Kiru?" "No? Then Yamil" "Stijn?"

"You're really bad at naming things" Perseus commented, the mountain lion nodding along

"Fine, then what do you propose?" Hector rolled his eyes

"Simba" Perseus simply said

"Simba?! You must be-what do you mean you like it?" Hector asked the mountain lion, "you hated Missu but want to be named after the lion who got over the death of his father in just a song? If I had known that I would've named you Mufasa" "no, I don't want you to die. Why do you have to be so extra?" "No, I was not insulting you Simba"

"Are you talking to the cat?" Perseus asked the teen

"Yeah, got a problem?" Hector replied, caressing the first of his new companion

"Not at all, just think it's pretty cool," Perseus said, bending over to let the mountain lion go smell his hand.

"Yeah, that's one of my powers. I can summon animals and talk to them. Nobody that I know can do that so I guess that's pretty cool" Hector looked at Perseus, "I told you one of my powers, how about you tell me your domains?"

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Because we're a team, and a team should know everything about each other to function properly" Hector replied

Perseus stared at the teen in front of him and sighed in defeat. "Fine, but you gotta promise not to judge after I tell you"

"Promise on Simba's life," Hector said, taking a paw and putting it up

"Well, as you know, my name is Perseus, and I'm the god of tides, childhood, secrets, feelings, technology, hospitality, humor, sacrifice, and time. I know that being a deity of time has a certain negative connotation, but I've been trying to steer away from it" Hector widened his eyes at the statement, recognizing some of the domains of the god as things he had felt a certain attachment to.

"So, theoretically, would it be possible for you to freeze someone in time?" Hector asked the god that was in front of him

Perseus nodded his head, "Yep, I don't think I've done it yet, but it's possible. I mostly use my domains of childhood, secrets, hospitality, and tides the most. The rest are like bonuses the fates decided to grant me."

Not feeling trusting in the god, Hector simply got up and patted the mountain lion on the head.

"We should go to a motel or something. The night will get much colder and I would appreciate it if I arrive in California not frozen to death" Hector said, walking towards the setting sun.

"The nearest motel is the other way around," Perseus said pointing East

"Right, but Artemis is west" Hector pointed towards the opposite side

"But if we keep walking west, you won't be in any shape to save Artemis. As much as we are in a hurry, you must remember to take care of yourself. What good would it be if you arrived almost dead to Mount Othrys and the General to capture you? "

"Who's the General?"

"That's what A-t-l-a-s likes to be called. Just roll with it"

Hector stared at the god of tides, measuring the words that had just been spoken. In a silent debate, the brownish-auburn-haired boy decided not to go against a god who was trying, after all, to achieve the same goal he was.

"Ok, we'll stay in the motel first. But we have to leave early in the morning"

"Not a problem," Perseus said, grinning

The pair walked for about twenty minutes through the cornfield. With the sun setting, the visibility of the place began to diminish, the duo navigating only through their instincts/powers. Perseus used his domain of hospitality to locate the specific coordinates of the motel, while Hector simply followed behind. After arriving at a simple road, it was only a matter of time until the pair arrived at their destination.

"Looks like we arrived" Hector muttered at the sight of a pretty pink building in the middle of nowhere

"_Paphos Motel & Breakfast" _Perseus read aloud "Oh and look, it has a restaurant!"

Both the god and teen entered the motel, where a charismatic young man welcomed them in the reception. After receiving the news that the motel was pet-friendly, the pair got their room key and walked towards their room.

When they opened the room, a king-sized bed filled with rose petals, along with a bottle of champagne were the big welcome the pair had to the motel. The bathroom door was crystal clear, and two bathrobes hung in the closet.

"At least it has a big flatscreen TV," Hector said, breaking the tension

"Just leave your mountain lion and backpack here. We have to eat something" Perseus said tiredly.

"But Simba will get hungry. Won't you Simba?" Hector cooed the mountain lion, receiving a lick in the cheek from it

"We can't risk a clear-sighted mortal to see that we have a mountain lion. Don't worry, we'll bring him some meat. Now come on, I'm hungry"

Leaving Simba inside the very romantic room, the quest pair made their way to the very tiny restaurant that was part of the motel. It was empty, with only a woman waitress that sat on a stool texting somebody.

"Shit, I gotta go take a leak really fast. Get us a table and chocolate milk to drink for me. If they don't have that, then lemonade" Perseus said before running off to do his business.

"Since when do gods go to the bathroom?" Hector asked himself, approaching the waitress. "Excuse me, can I have a table for two?"

The waitress looked up from her phone, locking eyes with the ex-camper and smiling brightly.

"Of course! Sit anywhere you like. I'll bring your menus right now" the waitress told in a very enthusiastic tone.

Hector sat down in a table for four, facing towards the door in a safety measure. Since very young, the teen always took an extra effort to make sure that he was prepared for any attack that he may encounter. Sitting facing the entrance was the best way to evaluate every person that entered through the doors, judging quickly if they pose a threat to him. Some said that he was being overly paranoid, but being raised as a demigod had taught him that he would always be subject to monster attacks.

"Here are your menus. Would you like anything to drink first?" the waitress asked

"A root beer for me and chocolate milk for the adult," Hector said grinning at the situation

The waitress smirked, "Alright, I'll be back with your drinks to take your order"

Hector looked at the figure of the waitress, each step reminding him of a lost friend. Her long princess curled blonde hair, her tanned skin, and her grey eyes, it all reminded him very much of a girl who was also lost. Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and first love of Hector. The girl who was his best friend for so many years, all until that dammed Son of Poseidon decided to show up in camp.

The main objective of this mission was to rescue Artemis, but Hector couldn't help but also have an agenda of his own. Whoever had abducted Annabeth, his best friend, would surely suffer from his wrath. It didn't matter if it was a monster, demigod, god, or even a titan, nobody would get away with harming Annabeth.

"Whatcha thinking about?" the voice of Perseus brought Hector back from his trance.

"What took you so long?" Hector asked the god

"I tend to go to the bathroom often when I'm stressed. It's part of my coping mechanism" Perseus defended himself

Hector scoffed, "Coping mechanism? I would've guessed that gods did not have anything to worry about except power"

"We do worry about things! Like right now, I'm worrying about Artemis" Perseus blabbered

Hector narrowed his eyes, "Why do you worry so much about Artemis? Do you like her or anything?"

Perseus blushed, "You could say that"

Hector laughed out loud, "No way! A god with a crush on Artemis?! And a friend of Apollo no less! Wait till he finds out, or worse when she finds out"

"I thought Hera had taught you to behave in the presence of a god"

Hector brought his hands up, "Hey, you're the one that proposed we get along better"

Before Perseus could reply, the waitress arrived with the drinks.

"Alright, root beer for the little boy, and chocolate milk for the big boy," the waitress said, putting the drinks in front of the clients.

"Me me big boy" Perseus exclaimed

"Oh shut up Percy," the waitress said, quickly bringing her hands to her mouth, trying to recover her action.

Perseus looked at her in great detail, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Aphrodite?"

"Oh, what's the use in hiding it anymore. Hey Percy, long time no see" Aphrodite said, sitting down in an empty chair

"It has only been a month"

"Feels a whole lot longer. You know how much I need you"

Hector cleared his throat, reminding the gods that they were in the presence of a minor. "Are you two like fuck-buddies or something?"

Perseus laughed while Aphrodite glared at him, "Haha, she wishes"

"He's just mad because he can't get someone as hot as me," Aphrodite said "So, what are you doing all the way in Nebraska? And with a camper no less?"

"Top secret stuff, you'll find out in your next meeting" Perseus sipped from his chocolate milk, "By the way, thanks for the silly straw"

"So, what is your name young man?" Aphrodite asked Hector

"My name is Hector Carib Troy, unclaimed. It is an honor to meet you, Lady Aphrodite" Hector bowed his head

"Aww so cute. See Percy, you should learn from him. He is so respectful, so I doubt he has any godly enemies. If you want to come to broad daylight as a major god, you have to appeal to everyone. Of course, I can help you with everything, but you have to put some work into yourself. Starting with a makeover. See, look at Hector here. He is very fashionable, yet he still has personality, comfort, and it keeps him warm in these cold winter days. Now, look at you! And to think that I'm your friend" Aphrodite ranted/roasted Perseus

Perseus groaned "Could you please just bring us food?"

"Fine, what do you want Troy?" Aphrodite asked

"Can I have a hamburger for here, and a slice of uncooked meat to go?" Hector told the goddess

"Of course. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your pet mountain lion" Aphrodite winked

"Don't wink at him. And where's my food?" Perseus said angrily

The goddess of love turned towards the god of tides, "I do what I want. And summon your own food, don't be so lazy"

Perseus growled but did what he was told by the love goddess.

"Now, Troy, you have a very Troyan name. Hector Troy. I bet your godly parent supported their side, which I must say is a good thing for you. It means I already root for you" Aphrodite ignored the angry look Perseus was sending her

"I guess, although I don't know who he or she is," Hector said shyly

"Oh! I could help you"

Perseus raised an eyebrow, "I bet you can't help him"

Aphrodite turned to the god, "How much?"

"90,000 drachmas," Perseus said smugly

"Deal" the goddess turned to Hector. "Troy, what are your powers?"

"I can talk to animals and summon them, I'm really good at archery and swordfighting, I sometimes know what other people are feeling, I feel very energetic during the night, I can climb trees and follow a path with no effort and am very fast in the forest. And, for the last one, you have to promise me you won't tell anybody"

"I swear on the Styx I won't tell your next power to anybody unless I have your permission" Aphrodite swore, thunder roaring sealing the oath

"I can slightly control time, like freeze someone in time" Hector said quietly, earning wide eyes from Perseus and narrowed ones from Aphrodite

"I see...Sorry Troy, but it seems I cannot help you. But can you do me a favor and leave me alone with Perseus here, I have to ask him something. Gods stuff" Aphrodite said

Hector nodded and went to the room, taking with me the bag with the piece of uncooked meat. As soon as Aphrodite felt the teen inside the room, she turned angrily towards Perseus.

"When were you going to tell me that you had a child with Artemis?"


	21. Don't oversleep

Olympus, due to the many years which it has existed, contained many secrets. All the gods had hidden rivalries, occurrences and sometimes even hidden romance. But still, there was one secret that was greater than all others, the secret that Aphrodite had just discovered.

This secret was so great because it contained two main and very important issues. First of all, the _maiden _goddess Artemis had turned out to not be so much a maiden. She had sired a child, a male, and with a god nonetheless, which brought up the second issue.

Perseus, son of Poseidon and Hera, was the first god to be born out of two gods and also the first god to be exiled from Olympus. Even though this was done due to Zeus paranoia, it did not change at all the fact that the god was still living illegally in America. He was supposed to be imprisoned in his island for all eternity, yet thanks to the fates, the god of time had managed to escape his imprisonment.

These two issues combined made for a very dangerous situation. The offspring of both gods would be undoubtedly powerful, but the symbolism of his existence posed much more of a threat than the actual teen.

When Aphrodite figured out the secret, Perseus could only stare at the goddess of love. His mind was unable to form coherent sentences, drifting from ways to escape the situation to the possible effects the discovery may have on the life of his family.

"You weren't going to tell me ever, were you?" Aphrodite said angrily.

Perseus, not trusting his mouth, simply nodded and bowed his head down in shame.

"Dammit Percy! This is the biggest event since we changed to Roman aspects, and you didn't tell me about it!" Aphrodite yelled

"I'm sorry, but I had promised that I wouldn't tell anybody. If somebody found out, Carib, Artemis and I would be in danger. So I plead before you, please Aphrodite, don't tell this to anybody. I'm asking you as a friend, _un amigo_, _un ami, un amico, enas filos, a chingu..._" Perseus pleaded, rubbing his hands together as if he were in a prayer

"Stop saying friends in different languages! I get your point, and I love the way you want to protect your family. But you must also understand Perseus, being an Olympian gives me the responsibility and duty report any abnormality I find, especially in times of war such as this" Aphrodite said seriously, but her eyes projecting great sorrow. Deep down, the goddess of love truly loved the god of tides, she loved him as one would a brother. He was the male friend she wished she had since ancient times.

Perseus fell to his knees, obtaining the wide eyes of the love goddess. "Please Aphrodite, I'll do anything, just please don't tell anybody of Carib. You can tell of my existence, the king of Olympus can kill me, but please, I beg you, don't hurt my son" tears fell from his eyes.

Aphrodite looked at the shaking figure in front of her, and pushing her lips together, touched Perseus' shoulder.

"Fine, I won't tell anybody. Instead, I need you to answer me two things" Aphrodite said

Perseus stood up and hugged the love goddess, muttering tons of 'thank you's' in the ear of Aphrodite

"Sit down Percy. I know you're childish, but I need you to be serious for a moment" Aphrodite said glaring at the god

"I'm sorry, what were you going to ask me?"

"How did you get Artemis to sleep with you?" Aphrodite asked excitedly

Perseus grinned, "I guess I'm just too sexy for even a maiden goddess to resist"

"I told you to start being serious. Answer me or I'll tell the council everything" Aphrodite threatened

Perseus sighed, "Okay, the truth is that...Artemis is my wife. That's how I managed to escape the island where I was at and live here in America"

"You're married?! Who else knows?" Aphrodite asked quickly, seeming very interested in the subject

"Only Apollo knows, and that's because he's Artemis brother. You can't tell anybody alright?"

Aphrodite rose her arms, "alright, I won't tell anybody"

"Thanks. Now, your second question is..."

"How doesn't Hector know that he's a god? I mean, he's a son of both you and Artemis, so he should be a god." Aphrodite conjured a glass of wine, which she began to stir

"You're right, he is a god, but because of our fear that someone might look for a new god, and also because of a prophecy, we decided that it was better if we sent him to live in Camp Half-Blood, so he could learn how to fight and handle himself"

Aphrodite sipped her wine, "I get what you were trying to fix, but doesn't that seem like the most effective way to make your child resent you?"

Perseus sighed, "That's what has happened. Trust me, we tried to figure out ways to stay with him, but Artemis being with her hunters and me being, well me, it was impossible to raise him without gaining attention. Hell, you found me and that wasn't because of the huge power. Imagine if a huge amount of power suddenly appeared in Orlando"

"Oh, I get what you mean. And so disguising him as a demigod also helped to hide him from the other gods right? Because nobody would look at Camp Half-Blood for any unclaimed and powerful demigod"

Perseus narrowed his eyes, "I'm not sure if that was sarcasm or not, but that's practically why we did it"

"And just like any demigod, he was abandoned by his parents," Aphrodite said bluntly

"Artemis had talked to him once and always looked after him. So he wasn't completely abandoned" Perseus replied

"But you didn't do anything to watch over him, did you?" Aphrodite didn't wait from a reply of the god, "you forgot about him at one point"

"Can you blame me? I hadn't seen him in so long"

Aphrodite hit Perseus on the head due to the anger she felt from his reply.

"That is no excuse. I for one can tell you that I remember each and every one of my children... and you know how promiscuous I am. You only have one child, you have no excuse to be negligent"

Perseus rubbed his hand on his head, where the love goddess had just hit him.

"That's different, you actually gave birth to your children" Perseus tried to defend himself

"Gods, I'm so disappointed in you Percy. Don't be surprised if Hector ends up with the Oedipus complex." Aphrodite said before she flashed out, leaving the time god alone inside the restaurant.

The god finished his chocolate milk in silence, his mind replaying the scene over and over again. Had he really been so negligent? Had he been like every other god who just slept around with mortals and forgot about their kids? Had he fallen so low as to turn into one of the men Artemis hated?

As he walked to his room, the god began to plan a way to tell his son the truth. It was going to come out one day, and his anger was inevitable, but the least he could do was tell his son the truth.

After much debate, he decided to tell his son soon after they had rescued Artemis. Once she was safe, it would be much better to announce the news to Carib. His fragile teenage mind would need a mother figure in this situation, and with his only mother captured under the sky, it would not be a good idea to drop such a bomb of information.

When the god of tides opened the door, he was met with a sleeping mountain lion sleeping on the floor, keeping guard of his new owner. Hector Carib slept soundly, lightly snoring and twitching every so often.

"Why does he snore? Neither Artemis or me does that" Perseus muttered

After brushing his teeth and shaving his slight beer, the god went and laid down on the bed. As he closed his eyes, Perseus could feel the tide much too calm due to the moon not being present on the sky. He could feel every second of time, counting one by one as the minutes went by. Soon enough, the god of time grew tired of counting the seconds that passed, and fell asleep next to the already sleeping teen.

Falling into a sleep slumber, the god left all his worries to flow away from his body. All the negative energy he had been carrying, most of his stress, it all came off his shoulder and into the bed.

Feeling well-rested, the god of tides slowly woke up, stretching, cracking his back, and rubbing his eyes in an effort to wake up and become alert. After going to the bathroom and brushing his teeth, a weird feeling began to settle inside the gods being. A sense of distress, as if they had missed something great.

And that's when it clicked. Perseus ran towards where Hector laid sleeping.

"Hector Carib Troy, wake the Hades up this instant!" Perseus yelled, earning nothing but a snore from the teen

"Carib wake-up!" Nothing happened

The god took water from the bathroom and threw it on top of the boy, but the boy simply did not seem affected by anything.

"Carib, Artemis will perish if you don't wake up this instant" suddenly, the teen began to groan and slowly wake up.

"Don't call me Carib" he groaned, yawning

"Shut up and get ready to leave. We overslept" Perseus pushed Hector towards the bathroom

"Why what time is it?"

"It's 8am"

"Only? It's not that late" Hector rubbed his eyes and yawned as he walked towards the bathroom.

"We slept for two days straight. Tomorrow is the solstice meeting"

"We WHAT?!" Hector asked, running to the bathroom to do all his necessities

"Yeah, so hurry up," Perseus said loudly, not daring to go in front of the see-through bathroom door.

As quick as two minutes later, hector stood fully dressed and ready to go. Simba, the mountain lion, stood right beside the teen, ready to continue the expedition.

Perseus looked at his son, impressed by the similarities between him and his mother. As with the hunters, Hector was quick to pack everything and be ready to go in such a few minutes. Granted, there wasn't much to pack, yet the room stood as if nobody had even slept on it.

"Are you ready to rock and roll?" Perseus asked as he opened the door

Hector groaned, "your dad jokes are the worst. Save them for your children"

Perseus nodded sadly, conscious that it was not the time to tell his son about him or his mother.

"Wait for me outside while I check us out of the room," Perseus told the teenager, who followed his instructions not looking back at the god. The god went to the front desk, where the same receptionist was sitting. "Hey, I'm here for the check out"

"Alright sir, how did you enjoy your stay?" The male receptionist asked cordially

"It was pretty good" Perseus handed the room keys to the receptionist, who took them with both hands as a sign of great respect. "Do you know a place where we can rent a car?" Perseus asked

"Oh, of course. There's a car rental just in town. It's about a ten-minute walk down-the-road. I could give you a lift if you'd like sir, this temperature is no good for you nor your companion" The receptionist offered. The sincerity in his voice made him sound so...genuine. It was a rare occurrence that a mortal was so genuinely good, especially a male. he hated to agree with his wife, but after living years in the mortal world as a businessman, Perseus could confidently say that men were most commonly the evilest of the two genders.

Once the god of tides checked out of the room, he joined Hector, who was sitting on the bench just outside the motel.

"Where are we going now?" Hector asked as he stood up, backpack on his shoulders.

Perseus walked past him, muttering some incomprehensible words.

"What did you say?" Hector asked

"To rent a car. It should take us around 24 hours by car from here to California, so around 27 to exactly where we want to be. Add to that the rest stops, it should be at least 30 hours" Perseus said as he walked

Hector ran up to the god, Simba the mountain trailing behind. "We don't have that much time"

"I know, that's why I'm thinking of some modifications we can do to the car to make it faster" Perseus answered

"_We_ is a lot of people"

Perseus ignored the whining teen and continued his way into town. Hector, noticing that the god was not paying attention to him, reluctantly shut up and followed right behind. It seemed impossible that he had slept for two days straight. Never in his life had he slept so much. He was always one of the people who rarely slept at all. For some reason, he felt super energized during the night, and with only around two or three hours of sleep, Hector could function as normal. Adding that he was a very light sleeper, the teen was very surprised that he had slept so _soundly _for such a long amount of time.

It bothered him. He had lost two valuable days of his life. At that time, Artemis had suffered much more than necessary, all because he decided to _sleep_. At this rate, Hector did not doubt that the questers whereas close or even more close to Artemis than he was...and that bothered him to no end. He was supposed to rescue Artemis, he was supposed to avenge her, not some stupid camper Son of Poseidon, who most likely got to go to the quest just because.

"Carib, go and buy some food for the road. Don't be afraid to spend as much as you want, but make sure to buy a looot of food. And toilet paper and water also." Perseus interrupted Hector's train of thought, handing the teen a black credit card. "I'll be renting the car and making some modifications. Let's meet right here"

"Don't call me Carib" Hector said angrily, taking the credit card and walking to the nearest store.

Once in the store, Hector looked around for stuff to buy. Immediately locating the candy section, the teen went in a sugar overdrive, taking every candy available. Then, just because he knew that Perseus would disapprove of such an unhealthy variation of food, the teen went and got some apples, cereal, water, Gatorade, meat, Paracetamol, matches, cookies, and chips.

Comfortable with his food and supply selection, Hector went up to the register to pay for the stuff. As normal, the teen put the stuff on the register for the worker to scan and then put in a bag. After the cashier scanned all the stuff, he told Hector the total. However, the voice of the cashier sounded much too rough and dumb, which gave the ex-camper a very bad feeling.

Looking up to the cashier, Hector noticed that the being only had one eye. But it wasn't as if he had lost one in a war, or as if it was taken during surgery or anything. This thing had only one eye socket, in the middle of the forehead.

'_A cyclops_' Hector thought to himself, surprised and scared.

"It's 242.0" The monster repeated himself, completely unaware that Hector had just seen through the mist

Shaking his head out of the trance, Hector handed the cyclops/cashier the black credit card. The rough hand waved, the cyclops silently saying that he didn't need the card.

"Insert it when green," The rough voice of the monster said. Hector nodded, scared of the moment the monster may attack him.

Curiously enough, the monster did not attack him ever, nor he made any weird movement of recognizing a god offspring. He seemed to treat Hector just like any mortal, not even a clear-sighted one. This troubled Hector very much, as he always knew that demigods were hunted down and killed by many types of monsters, commonly the cyclops. It was how his adoptive parents, Heather and Scott, had perished after all.

He remembered, in what could only be considered a family outing, Hector and his demigod parents were walking through the woods nearby the camp just in case any attack occured. It was a normal outing, just like any other day. Hector ran through the trees, climbing to some and swinging around as if he were a monkey. Scott and Heather laughed as the little six year old had the time of his life.

All of the sudden, a loud rumbling of branches shook the family from its peaceful moments. Hector remembered being knocked down of one of the branches and then receiving a cut on his leg, just where the main artery is. Quickly he lost conciousness, the faint image of a kind-woman tending to him as his "parents" fought for their lives against the monsters. Hector woke up in the infirmary, with Chiron looking down to him with a crestfallen look.

The then six year old asked his mentor what had happened, at which time he received the news of his "parents" dying. Forgetting his injury, the little boy ran towards the archery range, which became his sanctuary for the years to follow.

Such an event never left Hector's mind, which made the teenager even more curious as to why the cyclops had not attacked him. Was he waiting for the perfect moment, or had the cyclops simply lost his capability of detecting demigods? Whichever the reason, Hector knew not to let it affect him too much. The teen quickly grabbed the bags containing his purchased items and walked away from the store.

"Took you long enough. I was just about to go and get you" Perseus joked, reclining on a caravan.

"There is no way that vehicle can move fast enough for us to save Artemis in time," Hector said, dropping the bags on the floor

"You forget that I'm the god of technology. I did something to the car, and trust me, it's going to be fast" Perseus grinned

"What did you do, oh great god of awesomeness? Did you change the motor of the caravan and put a Ferrari motor?" Hector said sarcastically

Perseus frowned, "First of all, it's a Bugatti motor. Second of all, I did more than that. And I do not need your condescending tone right now. So settle the stuff inside cause we leave in two minutes"

"What about Simba?" Hector asked, pointing at the mountain lion that was licking himself

"We can't take him. He won't survive in California, it's not his habitat. Plus, he probably has a mate around here, and we can't afford to make this already endangered species even more endangered" Perseus said, patting Hector's shoulder

With a crestfallen figure, Hector made his way to the unaware mountain lion. Putting his hand on its head, the teenager began to let his tears fall.

"I'm so sorry Simba, but we can't take you any further. I'll be here for you soon, don't worry. Nebraska will see me again, you will see me again. I love you Simba" Hector sobbed, as the mountain lion purred at the teen's side.

Perseus saw from the rearview mirror the interaction, smiling a sad smile, watching how his son had made such a special connection with a part of Artemis domain. Truly he had more in common with Artemis than with him, which he couldn't blame as he had been completely absent from his life.

"Maybe this is my punishment for being such a bad parent" Percy muttered


	22. Road on the Rockies

The goddess of the hunt was having a hard time holding up the sky. Its original bearer, Atlas, was capable of doing so barely just because he was the titan of strength and endurance. But Artemis was neither of those, nor her domains had any resemblance to those.

Artemis had lost count on how many days she had spent holding up the weight of the world. Many philosophers have said that the weight of the world is indescribable...and Artemis could abide by that statement. No matter how hard she tried to focus on her task, on other stuff, the weight of the world brought her up from her thoughts.

It was one of the worst punishments. Even Prometheus could think and meditate while he grew his organs back before the eagle came and ate again. But she was stuck there, holding up the sky. Physically heavy, emotionally unbearable, and mentally exhausting.

She knew that the choice had been hers. She could've just let the maiden hold up the sky while she stayed in a prison. But she couldn't do that to a fair maiden. A maiden who seemed smart and a great asset to Olympus. Artemis knew that demigods were an essential part of Olympus and, unlike most gods, she helped them whenever she could. It was mostly done by offering a place in her hunt to young demigoddess, but the point still stranded.

Two thoughts wandered her mind. The first one was very obvious: how freaking heavy the freaking sky is.

However, when she was not thinking about the sky, Artemis' mind wandered to her son. Hector Carib Troy, the boy who ran away, was most probably in Camp Half-Blood at that moment, with no idea what his mother was going through. He was probably training in the camp, not caring about her capture.

It hurt her. She knew that there was no other way to ensure Hector's survival than to abandon him, but it still hurt her in many ways.

She had failed as a mother. She had failed to witness his first steps, his first words, his first tooth falling, and she failed to breastfeed him. The sacred bond between mother and offspring that is enhanced by the process of breastfeeding, gone by a decision.

He was the only thing keeping her from giving up. The weight of the sky was a lot, but nothing was more unbearable than the constant reminder of her horrible decision. The fact that she had married the god of time, yet not even him could turn back time and fix their mistake. Holding up the sky was a metaphor for her holding up on the hope that one day she might be able to reunite with her son and form a family. But just sky, the hope was very hard to hold on to, and it was slowly slipping away with time.

"Well moon goddess, guess you're going to be stuck here for a long time. But don't worry, when this war is finished, the rest of the Olympians will come and take turns to help you hold the sky" Atlas, who came walking to stand in front of Artemis, said

Artemis golden face fumed, "the quest will come and your plan will fail. Soon enough you'll be back holding up the sky," she sneered

Atlas laughed, "do you really believe the quest will be able to save you? Just five minutes ago one member of the quest died in New Mexico, in Hephaestus junkyard."

"W-what?"

"What was her name? I think it was...Phoebe? I'm not sure" Atlas pondered

Artemis faltered st the news, letting her grip on the sky fall a little bit. This only made her struggle much harder, as the position which was most comfortable changed completely.

"So only two are left?" Artemis grumbled

"I'm not going to tell you information Artemis, nor am I going to explain my plan to you. It's so stupid that the people in movies and books always tell their plans to the enemy. No matter if I'm certain that you won't escape, I'm not stupid enough to tell you my whole plan" Atlas ranted, practicing movements with a sword

"But how is me knowing the number of questers going to affect your plan?" Artemis asked

"It won't affect it, but I'd rather not tell you because of reasons"

"Which are?"

Atlas turned to face the goddess of the hunt face to face. "Listen, you are in no position to ask anything. So unless you want to end up like a rag doll, I suggest you take your punishment silently"

Artemis' eyes widened in surprise. Then, due to her anger and embarrassment, the moon goddess spit on Atlas's face.

"You bitch. I would just...you know what? I have an idea, but you'll know about it tomorrow" Atlas said grinning

Artemis looked at the titan, her eyes showing fear, "Does it concern me?"

Atlas winked, "you won't have to do anything"

The moon goddess's face paled as much as it could considering the great pain she was in. It did not matter that she was no longer a virgin, simply the idea of the titan of strength abusing her was enough to make her lose reason. She did not want to experience that, yet Artemis knew that there was nothing she could do to free herself from her predicament. It was, in the end, her worst nightmare: having to depend on other people for her safety.

Unknown to her or the titan Atlas (or almost any other being for that matter), another group was on its journey to save the goddess of the hunt and the imprisoned daughter of Athena. A boy and a man, brought together by the need and duty to save their loved ones, were the unknown force that the Olympians had on their side.

Said group, unfortunately, ran a little behind the official quest. How far behind? Well, while the other questers were in New Mexico, the god of tides and the ex-camper were in a car passing through Colorado. Although the god of tides had put a motor to make the car faster, he had failed to put into account the amount of time and the dangers that the Rockies mountains contained.

"What do you mean we don't have toilet paper?" Perseus, the god of tides asked/yelled

Hector put his hands up, "Sorry, I forgot"

"Oh, but you didn't forget to buy bobby-pins, did you?! I gave you a credit card to buy everything, gave you instructions on what to buy. And what was one of the items I specifically told you to buy?"

Hector muttered something

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you when you mutter like a little bitch. Answer me, what was one of the few things I specifically told you to buy?"

"Toilet paper"

"TOILET PAPER. Are you stupid or are you making yourself seem like one? Because if that's what you aim for then it's working wonders! I can't be more disappointed" Perseus yelled, clearly mad about the situation

"Oh great, I disappointed an irrelevant god! Might as well die" Hector said sarcastically

"Be careful with how you address a god"

"No! I have always addressed those who deserve respect with such. But you have only insulted me, made me feel horrible, and not helped at all. You said I disappointed you? Well, guess what? I don't care! I've already disappointed anyone I care about, so why should I care about your opinion" Hector yelled, his aura radiating anger and sorrow

Perseus slowed the car down, his mind processing what the young teen had just expressed.

"What do you mean you've disappointed anyone you care about?"

"Exactly what I said. I disappointed Chiron when I ran away from my problems, I disappointed Hera by not being as perfect as she wants me to be, I disappointed my adoptive parents by not being strong enough, and I've disappointed my biological parents simply by existing."

Perseus looked at Hector through the retro visor. "What about Artemis?"

The ex-camper scoffed, "Is that really a question? I may care about Artemis, but I know she will never care as much for me as I do for her. After all, I am a boy"

"Maybe she had a change of heart" Perseus tried to cheer up his son

"As if gods can change just like that. Let's be clear on one thing Perseus; gods never change their nature. They might try to make amends for their actions, but their nature is mostly controlled by their domains, meaning that there is no way of changing it. Artemis is the chaste goddess, so naturally, she will despise anything or anyone that reminds her of the possibility or sexual intercourse. You are the god of childhood, which may explain your lack of capability of understanding a simple situation" Hector laid down on a sofa inside the van, eating a Slim Jim.

"I get what you mean, and I understand why you think that. But always remember, domains are flexible. One day the fates may decree that you shall no longer be in charge of something, so they take it away from you. We may be joint with our domains, but sometimes our personalities change the domain, and not vice versa." Perseus explained.

The young teen sat looking at the roof of the car, the words that Perseus had just said slowly making their way into his consciousness. As much as he hated to admit, the point that the god of tides had just made was very strong. For example, Hera was the goddess of marriage and family, However, it was no secret to anyone that she had become kind of mean towards anyone (with the exception of dear Hector), and this made modern marriages and families very dysfunctional. The marriages aren't dysfunctional by nature, but because Hera is how she is, they result in such a way.

"How long until we get there?" Hector asked

"37 hours, 26 minutes with 5 seconds, give or take" Perseus responded nonchalantly

"Something that specific can't be a _give or take_"

"It can be. Anyways hand me one of those long bois, I need my protein"

Hector went to hand a Slim Jim to the god, "why do gods need protein?"

"I lived so much time alone that I tend to live as a mortal" Perseus took the Slim Jim and opened it with his mouth, spitting out the plastic part that stuck on his teeth.

The ex-camper looked at the god in curiosity, "Who are you? I know your name is Perseus and that you have a bunch of domains. But, that doesn't really tell me much about you. Why were you living as a mortal? Why did you mention before that you were exiled or forbidden, or something along those lines?"

Perseus sat driving, looking at the road with a great pensative face. His hands moved slightly, with his fingers tapping the wheel individually.

"I don't know if I should tell you or if I should wait after the quest is done," Perseus said, looking at Hector through the retro visor

"Why not now?"

"Because it's a lot of information and we have to be clear-minded." Perseus settled with his answer. It was, of course, a lie. The real reason why Perseus didn't want to tell the teenager about his past was very simple: he didn't know when to stop talking. He knew that once he started with his story, it was just a matter of time before he blubbered out his relationship with Artemis or the fact that he was in fact the most hated father in the history of America.

"It's impossible to be clear-minded when you're about to head to your possible death," Hector said

"God's can't die" Perseus raised an eyebrow

"I know, but I'm not a god, genius"

"...right, you're not a god. Of course" Hector looked at Perseus with narrowed eyes, as his behavior did not make him feel safe.

"There is something you aren't telling me, isn't there?" the teenager asked, taking out a deck of cards

Perseus' eyes widened, "What? Of course not! What gave you that idea?"

"Cut the crap. I may be young and never receiving proper education, but I'm not a moron. There is something that you're hiding from me, and I plan on knowing what it is. Whether it be today, tomorrow, or the next day, I will find out what you know, and why you're pawned on keeping it a secret"

"Pawned...who taught you that vast vocabulary?" Perseus tried to change the subject

"Stop trying to divert me! As long as you keep that stupid secrecy, I have no choice but not to trust you, and if I don't trust my quest mate, then this is going to fail. And so help me Hades, if this fails because of you, I will literally burn you alive until you fade" Hector said in the most serious tone he could conjure. It was very similar to the voice Artemis made when she was mad, a voice nobody should ever hope to hear.

"Why do you care so much about this quest? I get that you care about Artemis, but why do you care so much for her? You've only met her twice!" Perseus said, with a very low level of jealousy that hinted every word

"I feel like I've met her so many times before. I know she's a virgin goddess, but I also feel like she's my soulmate in a way. Like, you know the myth that every human was originally a creature with four legs and four arms? Then blah blah and they were cursed to be in a forever search for their other half? Well, I feel that way with Artemis. It's like I was once a part of her, one with her. I'm hoping that, if I save her, she might actually let me explain" Hector said, stopping his shuffling of deck cards

As he heard the explanation, Perseus' head was filled with the comment Aphrodite had told him _'Don't be surprised if he ends up with the Oedipus complex'. _By how Hector was describing his feeling towards Artemis, it seemed like the perfect candidate for that complex.

"Damm you Sigmund Freud" Perseus muttered, quietly enough for Hector not to notice, "don't you have a special someone who is not a goddess? Perhaps someone your own age or a demigod?"

Hector sighed, putting his deck of cards down, "her name is Annabeth, and she'll never feel the same way I do"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she likes that goddam son of Poseidon, Alex Pond. It's so obvious that they like each other, everybody knows it. I'm just the ex-friend who will stay in love with her for the rest of his life. Nobody will ever love me, and the one I love will be lost to someone who doesn't deserve her" Hector said, his voice becoming quieter with each word

"It doesn't have to be that way. Trust me, coming from a guy who landed the most incredible woman on Earth, everything is possible if you just be yourself." Perseus looked behind for a brief moment, noticing the teen looking outside the window just as if he were in a music video.

"Then I guess that's the difference between gods and heroes. Gods will live forever with their loved one, while heroes will meet a tragic end with nobody to remember them unless they're a child of the Big Three or if they had done incredible feats of courage. And even so, they will never achieve true happiness"


	23. The letter is opened

On top of Mount Olympus, inside a great big palace, a lonely goddess sat on a simple chair. The goddess of marriage, who had received more infidelity that one would be able to count, who had been forced to marry her husband, watched as her champion/grandson journeyed across the continent, in search of his mother.

Hera had known since the first week she met him. His mannerism, his powers to control animals, how he was always faster in the woods and at night, she had to be blind to not see it.

It was a big shock nonetheless. The maiden goddess Artemis had conceived a child, out of wedlock from what she could tell. After all, she had never received any notification of a marriage between the goddess of the hunt and a man.

The queen of Olympus had an idea of who the father of Hector was. Upon seeing him from the first time, the resemblance of the child, her, and another fellow Olympian was uncanny. She knew there was only one reason as to how this had happened: her eldest child.

Perseus was taken away from her and Poseidon when he was just a baby. After that, she had been forced to marry Zeus, and Poseidon had been forced to marry Ampheite. It broke both of their hearts, as neither of them fully recovered from it. Even as they never recovered, as time passed by, the love they both shared started to disappear into simply just a memory.

With Zeus' rule, Perseus' banishment, and the constant infidelity made the Queen of Olympus very bitter. Her happiness became a thing of the past, not even present in the history books. Just like her son, her happiness had turned inexistent and unimportant under the eyes of the council. As the days passed, Hera became even more bitter than the day before.

She terrorized the lives of Zeus bastard offsprings. From demigods such as Heracles to future Olympian council members, such as the twin archers, Hera let her rage take over her. She didn't care if the children had not done anything, simply the fact of their existence was sin enough.

In the end, that's what made Hector even more of a rarer discovery. Two of the main reasons for her bitterness had created something she would love. Her lost child and a bastard child of her husband, creating the life of her grandson.

From the moment she laid her eyes on him she knew. She knew that the child was someone special, who would become an essential part of her emotional well-being. The way his face was modeled, how he was keen to the tides, and the little control over time he had just re-enforced what Hera knew: Hector Carib Troy was the son of Perseus.

However, her hypothesis was proven correct when she saw her grandson in his quest, alongside his father. Perseus had grown a lot since the last time she saw him. The little baby that had been banished from Olympus due to his power was now helping Olympus, full-grown into a good-looking man.

After having received confirmation of Hector's family, the goddess of marriage knew what she had to do.

Traveling deep into the ocean, Hera stood behind big palace doors that separated the palace of Atlantis and the underground city.

"Halt! Who goes there?" A guard asked, pointing a spear at the Queen of Olympus

Hera looked into the eyes of the guard, "Tell Poseidon that Hera wants to talk to him. It is a private and important matter"

The guard stiffened at the name of the woman, bowing respectfully and quickly swimming towards the palace.

Some three minutes later, the same guard swam back to where the Queen of Olympus stood to wait for her response.

"Queen Hera, allow me to escort you to the inside of the palace"

Hera swam right behind the guard, looking to her side and acknowledging the beautiful architecture the Atlantis palace had. Despite having some towers that looked awfully lot to a male reproductive organ, the palace stood majestically tall, with the water crystal clear surrounding it, despite being at the bottom of the ocean.

On the palace throne room sat Poseidon and his wife Amphitrite. Everyone on Olympus knew that they never loved, or even liked each other, but had to marry due to the situation with Oceanus. However, Hera knew more than that. She knew that she and Poseidon had loved each other at one point. She remembered how his strong arms embraced her, gave her comfort and warmth, how his eyes made her catch her breath.

But their love would not last. Right after their child was born, Zeus became jealous of their relationship, condemning both to eternity with someone they did not love. And to make matters worse, he banished their child to a desolated island without a second thought, leaving the weeping mother cry alone, as the arms of the man she loved held another woman.

This was long ago. Millennia ago. Poseidon and Hera were something of the past. Now they were just two Olympians who happened to share an unknown child.

"Hera! What a great surprise! To what do I owe the pleasure of having you visit?" Poseidon asked, standing up from his throne and embracing Hera in a hug.

Hera returned the embrace, "It has been too long Poseidon. As to why I came here, I have to talk to you about something"

"Well, you would need to talk to me about nothing" the king of Atlantis laughed, stopping immediately after he saw the look Hera had, "Sorry. Why couldn't you have called me to Olympus"

"It is a very secret matter. It would be best if we could talk about it..." Hera looked around the room, "alone"

Poseidon furrowed his eyebrows but complied with the command of his visitor. All the beings quickly went outside the room, not wanting to anger any of the Olympian gods. Once alone in the room, Poseidon turned to the goddess, who was cracking her fingers.

"Why are you nervous?" Poseidon asked

"I'm not nervous"

"You always crack your fingers when you're nervous" Poseidon walked towards the goddess, taking her hands into his. "There, now you can't crack them"

Hera looked at his eyes just as Poseidon looked into hers. Both leaned forward, the past between them taking over their minds. Every breath they took led them to a different memory, to a different kind of happiness they had not enjoyed since. Just as they were about to close the distance between them, the Queen of Olympus looked away.

"We shouldn't. Lust should not take over us" Hera said, taking a step back

Poseidon sighed, "You're right, it wouldn't be correct if we did it"

Hera nodded, "I came for a reason. There's something I need to tell you"

"What is it?"

Hera brushed her hair back with both hands, taking every strand of hair off her face.

"You have a grandchild" Hera finally said

Poseidon raised his right eyebrow, "Yeah, so? I've had hundreds of grandchildren"

Hera shook her head, "This one is different, much different. You see, he's also my grandchild"

"Still don't get what the big deal is. I mean, one of your children could've been with one of mine and produce a child. It's not that uncommon Hera, especially in this wild century."

"His mother is a goddess and not one of my daughters"

Poseidon scratched his neck, "That doesn't make any sense. I haven't had any immortal daughters, which would mean..." he looked at the goddess with wide eyes, "but..but that's impossible"

Hera grinned, "His name is Hector Carib Troy, and he's the son of Perseus and Artemis"

Poseidon stared at Hera for a long time, his eyes spacing out ever so slowly. The goddess began to swipe her hand in front of Poseidon's eyes, which brought him out of his trance.

"None of that makes sense. Our Perseus is alive, grown-up, and with a child. And with Artemis! Artemis of all people!" Poseidon yelled

"I couldn't believe it at first either, but after spending time with him, it was undoubtedly their child"

"Where is he now?" the sea god asked

"Who? Hector or Perseus?"

"Both"

Hera smirked, "Hector is on a quest to save Artemis from the burden of the sky."

"And Perseus?"

"He's on the quest with Hector right now"

Poseidon put his hand up, motioning Hera to stop. "Wait, is Hector a god?"

The queen of Olympus stared at the wall of the throne room, "That is the one thing I do not know. He did not show any signs of having immortality during the three years I raised him. He grew at a mortal pace, looks like a mortal, and even bleeds like one. Yet, he's stronger than the average demigod and I believe he does not suffer from dyslexia"

"I must ask someone about this then," Poseidon turned to leave, but stopped on the way, "and Hera, thank you for telling me. It really means a lot"

Hera grinned, a slight blush rushing to her cheeks, "It was my duty"

Meanwhile in Utah, the father and son duo were not having a happy family time most people have in the state. Utah, which is filled with Mormons, was a very boring and big place. The road was almost frozen, which meant that Perseus had to drive more carefully. Unfortunately, this also meant that they were going slower than anticipated, elongating the time it would take them to reach the trapped goddess.

"Why are we going so slow?! My grandma can drive faster than this!" Hector whined

"Shut up! I can't see"

"What does I talking have to do with your vision?"

"Your constant whining is distracting me from the road!" Perseus said

"You're a god! Can't you just flash us there?" Hector asked

"No, because Zeus isn't supposed to know about me and flashing there would be like an automatic amber alert"

"Ok, you haven't told me yet what your big deal with Zeus is. Why can't he know about you? I know you were banished, but why?"

Perseus sighed, sensing that it was time to tell Hector the truth about his past...most of it at least.

"I was born out of wedlock, my mom being Hera and my dad being Poseidon. Due to my domains and because I do not share a direct connection with Mr. Lighting Bolt, I was sent to an island with no contact whatsoever. Being just a little baby, I have no recollection of what my parents look like, I can just imagine. Anyways, that island had some weird spell that made the time there pass as my conception of time"

"Huh?" Hector got confused

"In other words, because I was so alone and bored, time passed by very slowly. Millenia passed and my existence became a memory of few people, as far as I know, nobody came looking for me. That is until one day, a beautiful woman set foot on the island. She was very lovely and, soon enough, I fell in love with her. She helped me learn about my domains and my life, she healed me multiple times, and she made me laugh when I most needed it."

"What happened to her?"

"One day I decided to marry her, to which she eagerly accepted. We had no ceremony, it was just the two of us. Some years later, with her help, I was able to escape my imprisonment. I set foot on America for the first time in the '40s, soon after the end of the world war. We planned to tell everybody of my existence and marriage, but due to a prophecy, we both decided that is was best if we announced all of it later." Perseus summarized his whole life in a few sentences, not wanting to hide much more from the ex-camper

"Do you still love her?" Hector asked

"My wife? I do and I always will" Perseus said without hesitation

"Then how come you like Artemis?" Hector confronted the god

"W-what?"

"You heard me. You have a wife who you claim to love, yet you want to be with Artemis? If that isn't typical godly male behavior then I don't know what is. Artemis, the most ideal and perfect woman ever is so much more than you could hope so. How dare you say you want to be with Artemis when you have a wife? Do you have no shame?"

"Careful with your words, I am still a god"

"An irrelevant god! A god who does not care for anyone except himself! A god who will want to screw the life of two women just for his own satisfaction. A god who is the definition of what Artemis hates in men! How can you claim to love your wife whilst at the same time wanting to be with Artemis? Tell me!" Hector got furious

Perseus' face grew red with rage, his fury consuming every inch of his body. The god stopped the car suddenly, throwing everything on the back of the caravan to the floor.

"I can love my wife and want to be with Artemis because they're the same person!"

"What?" Hector whispered

"That's right! I, Perseus, am the husband and only lover of Artemis! That's why I'm on this quest, to save my wife from suffering, so don't you dare tell me that I don't care for anything"

Without missing a beat, Hector took a simple paper from his jacket pocket.

"What is that?" Perseus asked

_"Dear Arty_

_I am sorry for the way I have been behaving these past few years. I came from being a sweet boy to being one of Olympus' biggest douchebags. I swear that it was never my intention to hurt you, and I did not know that hiding the truth would have such an effect._

_From now on, I will look over Carib as I should've done long ago. I will try to be the father I wish I had, and I will not let loneliness to change the person you fell in love with. _

_I understand if it may take a while to forgive me, but even if it takes three thousand years, the thought of not spending one more day with you is harder than the thought of fading. I'm sorry for the tears I've caused you, and I hope that this letter will find you well. _

_I will keep sending you letters every day, not to be annoying, but as a reminder that I love you. You're what brightens up my nights, and the woman whom I can hopefully start a family with. I am really sorry Artemis. I love you, and I can't imagine my life without you by y side. _

_With the best of love,_

_Percy_"

Hector finished reading and looked at Perseus' eyes, who were filling up with tears.

"Carib..."

"So, now that I confronted you, tell me. Am I your son?"


	24. A simple decision

As he watched the impatient eyes of Hector, daring him to answer his question, Perseus' mind went completely blank for the first time in his life. He felt like he was in no control of his thoughts or body whatsoever like he was just a spirit that happened to exist. He couldn't think about what his response should be, he couldn't even think about opening his mouth. The god of time could only see the eyes of his son looking at him furiously, with a hidden disappointment shinning from them.

"You can't even admit it right after I confronted you about it. After I read you the letter YOU wrote, you still can't say it" Hector's eyes began to water, full thick tears falling from his cheeks.

Perseus couldn't respond. He wanted to hug his son and tell him everything. His regret filled his heart and mind every single day, and he wanted nothing more than to become a good dad. However, the opportunity to do that was passing right before his eyes, and his stupid body would not respond to his pleads.

"I can't believe it. All this time you knew I was searching for my parent, I even asked you about it, and you chose not to say anything. You knew how important it was for me, yet you went on like you didn't know anything." Hector was full on crying, "I hate you"

Those were the last words Hector said to Perseus in their journey. Soon after those words were said, the teenager opened the door of the van and got off. He then ran off to the frozen woods, the silhouette of the once happy child vanishing from the view.

All Perseus could do was stare. His heart pounding loudly. _Dundun, dundun_. The sound of his pumps filled his ears. It was all too surreal. There was no way this had happened.

"It was your decision" a voice told from behind.

Standing in their mighty selves, the three fates stared intensely into the god's eyes.

"What was my decision?" Perseus asked

"Everything" the three fates said in unison.

"May you stop being creepy as hell and just tell me?" The god of time yelled at the fates, not caring if they smited him for the disrespect.

The fates didn't respond. Instead, Clotho, who was standing in the middle, walked towards Perseus. She stood really close to him, barely a few inches away. The fate examined the face of the god, who was looking at her with his face showing how scared he really was.

Right as he was about to ask what she was doing, Clotho put her index finger on Perseus forehead. Upon contact, the god of tides eyes rolled backwards, his body plummeted, and his mind lost control.

A vision of a black haired boy with green eyes came into the mind of Perseus. The boy looked very similar to the god, almost identical even. It was like looking into a less attractive, younger and mortal version of himself.

The boy was on top of a big dam, probably Hoover dam. Usually, kids would be either bored or excited being at such a big and interesting place...but the boy showed neither of those feelings. Stress was all Perseus could see in his eyes, the eyes of a person who fears for his life.

Soon the image started to swirl, switching into the image of a known Aphrodite camper. Silena Beauregard, who he had brought to Camp  
Half-Blood just a couple of years prior, sat on her bed. She too seemed concerned for something or someone. Her hands were pressed together and her eyes were shut. Silena murmured unintelligible words, being said so quick and in such a low volume that only she knew what was being said. Suddenly, the teenager opened her eyes, showing the red evidence of recent tears.

The world began to change once again, this time showing a very beautiful woman. She was somewhat tall and wore a peacock feather scarf, or some clothing accessory of resemblance. Her eyebrows showed distress, and her sweaty forehead just confirmed the fact. From the look of her surroundings, it was obvious that the woman had money and a position of power. The woman was facing a crystal ball, a ball that showed images on the inside.

Looking closely, he began to see a boy running in the snow in a full sprint.

"Be safe Argos, you're our only hope" she murmured.

Before Perseus could see who it was that the woman was talking to, the image once again began to change. The closed environment he was seeing turned into the top of a mountain. He could sense that there were many being surrounding it, but none were as important as the person who was struggling below the clouds. It was the first person he had seen in his life, the person who made him believe in love, and the only one who he had kissed.

"_Artemis_!" He tried to yell, but found no use in words. His vocal chords did not vibrate, and his physical self was not even there. It was like seeing an image in a TV, wanting to help whoever is in there but being 100% unable to. He couldn't even come closer to his beloved, just be a passing being that saw what was happening.

The goddess of the hunt looked hurt both emotionally and physically. Her hair was messed up and her face slightly bruised. Perseus could see the tears stains on her cheeks, and her red puffed eyes that showed distress. It was easy to see that her mind was not letting her concentrate on her task.

Ever since their big fight around two years ago, Artemis face had never returned to her natural state again. Not many people noticed, but Perseus did. He knew that she had changed because of him, yet he didn't change. Sure, he started writing letters of regret, but not once did his actions truly change. It was his fault that she was in this place, and his fault that she was in such pain. As hard as he tried to be a good husband, he only ended up hurting his wife.

While thinking about his past few years, the figure of a big man appeared in front of Artemis.

"My informants tell me that the quest is very weak and tired. Soon they will arrive, and I will make you watch as I kill that bitch of a hunter Zoë Nightshade" the man said

"You wouldn't dare kill your own flesh and blood" Artemis replied

The man touched Artemis cheek, feeling the smooth surface of it. "She is a traitor, no longer my daughter. Since the day she betrayed me, she has been the enemy of my family. You must learn, sometimes the children we learn to love are the ones who will end up hurting us."

"That only happens when you are a horrible parent" Artemis sneered

"You must be very afraid then. After all, you left your child alone when he was merely a few days old"

"How do you-" Artemis eyes widened

"Know that? I have my sources" the man smiled "I treated my little girl as the best father in the world would yet she still betrayed me in the end. You must learn Artemis, children are selfish and only see the world their own way. They do not care for the reason we do things, they only care about the effects it has on them. Your child does not care that you left him to protect him, he will only care that you left him"

"You're wrong Atlas. My child is smart, he will understand what we did and why. I've always been looking after him, I've always been with him. He must know that deep inside" Artemis eyes began to water up.

Atlas turned around, not wanting to keep the conversation.

"Son of a bitch" Artemis cried, not letting the grip on the sky suffer.

The god of time felt horrible watching how defenseless his wife was at the moment, and the fact that he could do nothing wasn't helping.

Once again, the image of his wife began to swirl, turning into a different scene. This time, a teenager I a motorcycle appeared. The trademark auburn hair of his son flowed with the wind as he headed west on the motorcycle.

He looked the same as he did a few minutes before, but it was strange how Hector had managed to travel such a distance in such a short amount of time. He seemed to be in Nevada or California, as deserts were surrounding the roads traveled. His face was determined, the same expression Artemis had during her hunts. Once someone knew who his parents are, it was almost undeniably evident that they were who they were. The similarities between father, mother, and son were just too many to be ignored. From the color of his hair to the way he talked, he was a carbon copy of his two parents.

After around two minutes of watching his son travel on a motorcycle, the image once again began to swirl. This time, however, instead of another image being conjured, the god of tides woke up to the fates standing in front of him.

Perseus rubbed his right eye and grabbed his left side of the head, acting as support to him waking up.

"Did you see them?"

Perseus stopped rubbing his eye and looked up, only to see the fates glaring at him with their creepy eyes.

"What was that?" He asked the fates, his voice rasped as if he had not spoken in days.

"You have just seen images of the people you have and will affect during their lives. As of now, you have affected negatively a number of their lives. It is up to you and your decisions these next few days that will affect their lives. But keep this in mind, their happiness will come at a cost" the fates all said at the same time.

"Why? Why me? Why can't I live a happy life with my family" Perseus tears began to fall

The fates looked at each other, then at the god.

"You were born out of wedlock, into the lives of two gods that weren't supposed to have you. Your whole existence is a mistake, and because of it you will cause pain to those you wish to help and love" Clotho stepped forward

"No matter what, people around you will be unhappy for one reason or another. It is your choice if you want to make them the happiest they can be or more miserable than they are now." Lachesis stepped to be beside her sister

"So choose now, brave Perseus. Only a few hours are left before the Winter Solstice begins, which means that very little time is left before you can save the goddess of the moon. You need to hurry if you can to arrive in time to save your beloved" Atropos said

Perseus shook his head, "that doesn't make sense. I still have one day to arrive at California"

"That would've been true if you had not fallen unconscious. The dream and unconscious world move at different paces, much different than the conscious world. A minute unconscious maybe a few hours in the real world, and hours in the dream world may be only a couple of seconds in the real world" Lachesis looked straight into the eyes of the god

"But that doesn't make any sense...I'm the god of time. Doesn't time move relative to my perception? Why hasn't time slowed down?" Perseus yelled

"That only worked when you were in your island prison. This is the real world, with real consequences. You, Perseus, the god of time, shall learn that life is not what it seems to be" Clotho told the god of tides

"Why tell me now? Why do you interfere just when I need to save my wife! Right in the moment where my life seems to be falling apart! You chose to be here when I'm miserable" Perseus yelled with anger

Atropos looked at her sisters and then at Perseus, smiling creepily.

"You needed to learn this lesson before you discover your last domain"

"What are you-?" Perseus squinted his eyes

"In order to save Olympus, you are supposed to be aware of all of your domains. When we first met, we made you aware of all of your domains but one. Do you remember?" Clotho asked

"...yes. But why now? Why can't I know about it after the quest?"

"Some things are better left unanswered," Lachesis said.

What was once the figure of three old women was now nothing. Perseus could no longer see the fates talking to him, giving him the discomfort he hadn't asked for.

As he looked at the sun, he knew internally. He had only two hours before the winter solstice would start. How he had managed to stay unconscious for more than a day was a great question, one in which he would not dwell.

It was impossible to arrive at his destination in just an hour. Crossing three states was much difficult than it seemed, especially in the west coast. It would take him more than a day with conventional methods, either by car or super-high-speed train.

"It can't be..." Perseus fell to his knees

"Use your powers," a male voice said in his mind. The god of tides looked around, only to find himself in solitude in the vast nature scene that surrounded him.

"Who is it?"

"Your brother-in-law, genius. Now listen up, cause there isn't much time left. The only way you can arrive in time to save Artemis is if you use your powers. Either flashing to the destination or slowing downtime, it is your choice how you want to get there, but it has to be using one of your powers." Apollo said in a serious tone for once.

"But if I use my powers..."

"It will surely alert Zeus and you will no longer have the life you have had these past decades. You will be on the run, trying to evade Zeus' army. But if you don't, Artemis will not be safe."

"What about the quest? Aren't they going to be of help?"

"Do you really think a couple of fourteen-year-olds will be able to defeat the Titan of Strength? Or that they will be able to hold the sky long enough for a tired Artemis to defeat him? You need to be there. It is the only way. Now it is your choice, will you sacrifice yourself for Artemis?" Apollo disconnected himself from Perseus's mind, leaving the god of tides alone with his thoughts.

There wasn't much time to think about his decision. It was fairly simple really: saving his lover or keeping living like he were. Perseus knew what the choice had to be, and the consequences it may have lead to, but he didn't care.

He closed his eyes, savoring his last moments of solitude, before going on to his decision.


	25. The Jackson Family

Sometimes the best you can do for the one you love is being absent in their life. It is the will of the fates, after all. No matter how much you may want to be with that person, it is destiny who says that the love between the pair will not bloom as expected. It will cause unhappiness throughout the world, and this, in turn, would cause unhappiness to the couple. Sometimes it is best to forget or ignore the feelings, as only the two will suffer the consequences.

Poseidon knew this very well. After all, he had given up on his love for Hera in order to keep peace in his kingdom. The love of his life was married off to his brother, and he had married another woman who he did not love. They created a child, Triton, who he decreed to be the Prince of Atlantis. However, deep inside Poseidon knew that Triton was not the true bearer of the title.

His first born son, Perseus, who had been banished from Olympus was the one who carried such honor. He who had been banished when he was merely a few days old, was the only one powerful enough to keep a title such as Prince of Atlantis.

Perseus meant a lot for the god of the seas. Besides being his first son, it was the only child he had conceived with a woman who he held nothing more than love for. Sure, the mother of Alex Pond has been a lover of his, same as many other women, but none shared the deep emotional connection he held with Hera. What hurt him the most though was the fact that he could no longer love the mother of his first child.

He had convinced himself that whatever he felt towards the Queen of Olympus once was no more. However, when she came to visit him on his palace, the deep emotional connection resurfaced. Poseidon could no longer ignore the feeling he held towards Hera, it was too much. Sure, he knew the consequences their love may have to the world, but after millennia of being apart, a small part of his mind did not care anymore.

Why was it that other men could be with their loved ones while he couldn't? It didn't make any sense. Not only was he married off to someone he held no love towards, but the only reminder of the past had been banished for eternity.

However, all of that changed when Hera gave him the news that Perseus had returned to the normal world. Not only that, but he had a child with the man-hater goddess Artemis!

Poseidon knew that he could not just sit in his palace and do nothing. It was his duty, as an Olympian and a father to help his son in this quest. He had been absent during all of Perseus life. Even if it was not by choice, the fact stood that his son grew up without his parents, and Poseidon needed to make up for it.

"Triton!" Poseidon yelled

The sound of a being swimming at very high speeds grew as the merman approached the Atlantian throne room. A merman with two fish legs appeared at the entrance of the room, bowing down at the King of the Sea.

"Father, you have called for me" Triton told in a serious tone

Poseidon nodded, "yes Triton. As you know, the Winter Solstice is today, and I have to participate as I am part of the Olympian council. However, something has come up today and so I need to leave early to partake in some duties. You will be in charge of Atlantis during my absence. Can I count of you?"

"Of course father. You will not be disappointed in your decision. The only thing you need to worry about is you meeting and task."

Poseidon grinned, "great, I knew I could count on you. Tell your mother that I shall arrive late tonight. I will take my leave now, Triton. Remember to be responsible with your power"

"Yes father, I shall make you proud"

Poseidon grinned at his son. He may not be his favorite son, but dammit he still loved him. Even if he did not love his mother, Triton was undeniably his offspring. And as such, he deserved the love of a father, something Perseus had not known in his whole life.

The King of Atlantis already knew that the quest had advanced a lot during the course of the day. After all, his son Alexander Pond had sacrificed the Nemean Lion pelt to him, in exchange for the safety of the Ophiotaurus. Poseidon has been hesitant at first wether or not he should've taken such a powerful being under his custody, but after much internal thought, he decided that it was better for him to have it.

Flashing out of his palace, Poseidon appeared right at the base of Mount Tam, where the questers were supposed to be at.

"Guess they're already up there" Poseidon muttered as he ran up the mountain. It took him a well fifteen minutes to get to the top, but when he arrived, the god of the Sea was met with a sight he hadn't expected.

A boy, around fourteen or fifteen years old, ran quickly past Ladon. The weird part, however, was the fact that the dragon had no intention of hurting the teenager. He passed as though he was invisible, which he wasn't.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Poseidon yelled at the teenager, running towards him.

The boy turned around, and the light green eyes of the boy made contact with Poseidon's deep sea-green eyes. The teenager furrowed his eyebrows as if he wanted to see more clearly who it was that approached him. Before Poseidon could catch up, the boy yelled some words at the god of the seas.

"I don't know who you are, but please hurry up! We don't have much time left!"

Once Poseidon catches up to the boy, the pair began to run to where the sound of blades clashing came from.

On top of the Mountain, in what seemed like a pretty plain clearing, a big battle was taking place. The goth daughter of Zeus fought ferociously against her once best friend and son of Hermes, Luke Castellan. Alex Pond, son of Poseidon and supposed child of the prophecy, fought against a number of different types of monsters.

Meanwhile, the lieutenant of the hunt Zoë Nightshade fought viciously against her father. Atlas was very strong, and unlike what many bad mouths may say, he had a decent technique when it came to the sword. This made the battle specially difficult for Zoë, who for the past two millennia had specialized herself in long-distance combat.

Poseidon did not know who to help first. Whatever he did, he knew that the Ancient Laws were going to be broken. Yet he didn't care, when it came to the well-being of his family, some petty laws did not mean anything.

"Kid! Help the daughter of Zeus while I take care of the monsters!" Poseidon yelled at the fourteen year old, hoping to dear life that the teenager had heard and obeyed him.

Poseidon ran towards his son Alexander Pond, who was not having an easy time with the manticore and other types of monsters. As soon as he attacked the manticore, the beast hissed in a cat-like manner.

"This is against ancient laws! You are not allowed to help in a quest" the manticore hissed

Poseidon pointed his trident at the beast, taking a step forward, "and why is that?! If the titan Atlas is able to fight, then so should I! It is only fair to have immortals fight with immortals"

The manticore growled, deciding to attack the Olympian god. His son, Alexander Pond, quickly ran towards his father and tackled him, so that the deadly claws of the manticore did not hit the god.

Meanwhile, the light-green-eyed boy, against the instructions given by the Olympian god of the Sea, ran towards the daughter of Athena, who was laying defenseless on the ground. The once proud and strong Annabeth was now a mere puppet for the titans. He could sense that no extreme harm was placed on his friend, but that did t meant that it did not anger him to see his best friend in such a state.

Opening her eyes ever so slowly, Annabeth groaned as she was sat up by careful arms.

"Ugh, who is it?" Annabeth muttered with a raspy voice

"It's me Annabeth, Hector. I came all this way to save you."

"Troy, is that really you?" Annabeth opened her eyes slightly more

Hector conjured a small smile, "Yeah, it's me Annabeth. I'm going to get you out of here"

"How's Alex?" Annabeth asked Hector.

His heart broke. Here he was, having traveled a quarter of the United States alone. Having suffered the realization that both of his parents were alive and did not want to take care of him. The only comfort in his life was knowing that Annabeth was alright, yet the first thing she asks is if _Alex_ was ok?!

He has held on to her love for years. He had refused affection from so many other girls, just holding on to the hope that one day Annabeth might remember what the two of them had once upon a time. But now, that hope was completely destroyed. With a simple question, the reality of the situation had surfaced.

"I don't know, I'm guessing he's alright. There was a guy that came to help, and he's with him right now" Hector told Annabeth, stopping his tears from falling

"That's good, he's been through enough already"

"Yeah, can't imagine what that must be like" Hector sneered, which passed unnoticed by Annabeth. "stay here while I help the others"

Hector stood up and scouted the area. Alexander Pond needed no extra help, as he was already receiving the aid from the man who had arrived at the same time that he did. The lieutenant of the hunt seemed to have a harder time than Thalia Grace when it came to her fight.

Wanting to help, Hector Carib Troy tan towards the fight that Zoë Nightshade and Atlas were engaging in. As he approached, Hector conjured his bow and shot two arrows, both landing perfectly on the right side of the Titans chest.

"Argh, son of a-" Atlas said before watching who had shot him. When his eyes landed on the ex-camper, the Titan is strength grinned. "Well, if it isn't Hector Troy"

"How do you know my name?" Hector aimed an arrow at the Titan

"How couldn't I know your name? The son of a banished god and a supposedly virgin goddess? The bastard child of Olympus? The child who his parents abandoned because they were afraid of him? It would be a sin not to know who you are!"

"Don't talk to my son like that!" Artemis yelled from her position

"I will talk to the bastard however I want"

"Shut up! Stop talking and fight me like a real man!" Hector yelled

"What are these gender stereotypes I'm hearing? Your mother would not be happy hearing those, am I right Artemis?"

"I'm going to kill you!"

"Before you do, wait until a very special someone arrives. I have something prepared for this family reunion" Atlas grinned as he blocked a slash from Zoë Nightshade

Right in that moment, a black-haired god materialized right in the center of the battle field. His unruly hair made the appeared god recognizable from a mile away.

"And daddy's home! Finally, the family reunion of the millennium. Introducing the Jackson family! As a father figure we have Perseus Jackson, banished son of Poseidon and Hera, god of time and tides. In the mother position we have Phoebe Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Leto, goddess of the hunt and virginity! Oh my! And what happened when the banished god and the goddess of virginity shared a bed? Well of course, a child was conceived! Introducing Hector Carib Troy, who has the most Trojan name in history so you know who his parents supported during that conflict. Did you hear that Zeus? Perseus and Artemis had a child!" Atlas laughed at his speech

Perseus walked until he was around ten feet away from the titan. "Keep my family's name off your mouth you filthy titan"

"Oh please, what family? Your son hates you and you are just about to be divorced! Your family could not be more dysfunctional"

"I am not getting divorced" Perseus growled

"Oh, my mistake. Then, I guess I should give you a wedding present, should I not? How would you like the blood of the lieutenant of the hunt to be your wedding present?" Atlas said, just as he quickly moved and stabbed Zoë Nightshade on her right abdomen.

"Nooo!" Hector yelled as he took off his necklace. The same necklace that held the ring Perseus had given Artemis he first day they met. The same ring that protected Hector's identity during all those years.

Suddenly, a royal blue light covered the whole mountain, leaving every being there momentarily blind. When the light diminished, all the demigods laid unconscious on the ground. Atlas was grabbing his head in pain. Taking the opportunity, Perseus pushed Atlas toward the sky, where Artemis let go off it for the first time in days.

"No! Not again!" Atlas yelled

Artemis spared no second before she ran towards her fallen lieutenant. Even though every demigod was laying unconscious, the goddess of the moon knew that the only one who had suffered a lethal wound was her lieutenant.

"Zoë, please come back" Artemis cried as she held the corpse of her lieutenant close.

"Artemis-" Perseus tried to hug his wife, but she pushed him away

"Don't touch me" Artemis yelled, her emotions flooding her judgment faster than she could think her words

Perseus bowed his head, not happy with the result and feeling unsure on how to proceed onwards with his life. Since he had used his powers, Zeus definitely knew about his existence now, and would surely banish him once again to that awful island.

Suddenly, Perseus felt a hand touching his left shoulder. Looking at his side, an older version of him stood solemnly.

"I know it's a confusing time for you, but you must not give up Perseus. I will do everything in my power to stop you from being banished. You deserve a normal life, and your son deserves to have a father by his side"

"Thank you...father" Perseus struggled with the last word, but finally conjured up the courage to say it.

Looking from the distance, the teenager who had just created such a big amount of blue energy stood with a serious look on his face.

"I guess family is not for me. No matter how much I love her, she won't ever feel the same way I do" Hector muttered before running away into the California woods.


	26. The truth comes out

The Winter Solstice meeting of 2007 was one of the worst in all of Olympian History. The atmosphere surrounding every throne was thick and heavy like a gas-like syrup forced the gods to stay in their seats. In addition to the twelve Olympians, four individuals stood in the center of the throne room, waiting for their fates to be decided.

"Now that we're all present, I would like to propose that the council meeting start. But first, we should make a role call. Hera," Zeus said in his diplomatic way

"Present and voting" Hera told. So on and so forth, all the Olympians stayed their presence and their willingness to vote on the meeting matters.

"Alright. Now that we are all present here, does anyone have any points or motions to present?" Zeus asked.

Athena and Apollo raised their hands.

"Athena" Zeus motioned to the goddess of the wisdom

"Motion for a Moderated Caucus" Athena smiled

"That is in order. Apollo?"

"Point of personal privilege. Can I go scratch my buttho- I mean can I go outside and tend to my business?" Apollo said hurriedly

"Why couldn't you do that before the meeting started?" Zeus asked

"I didn't need to do it till now" Apollo blushed

"Fine, but be back quickly" Apollo bowed slightly, diminished his height and ran out the Throne Rooms doors. The gods all shook their heads in disappointment while the three demigods stood dumbfounded in the middle of the room.

"While Apollo is outside tending his business, Athena, may I ask you what the moderated caucus would be concerning?" Zeus turned his head to the wisdom goddess.

Athena stood up, "It would be concerning the actions we as a council should take concerning the lives of the Children of the Big Three who stand in the middle of the throne room"

"I approve of the motion. We may start the moderated caucus once Apollo returns from his personal privilege" Zeus decided

"Excuse me, but may I ask what a moderated caucus is?" Alex Pond, who stood in the middle of the room, asked the Olympians

"It's basically the parliamentary term for a moderated debate" Poseidon answered his son

"Wouldn't that imply that a time limit is in effect?" Annabeth asked confused

"Normally yes. But this is the Olympian council, and we thought that it was ridiculous for gods to have time limits when it came to talking" Athena answered her daughter

"Typical" Perseus coughed, earning a glare from almost every god except for Dionysus, who was sleeping

"What is that supposed to mean punk?" Ares asked, sharpening his spear.

"Oh nothing, just that it's typical for you Olympians to make rules that don't make sense just so that your egos don't get hurt" Perseus shrugged, "and don't call me punk, I'm older than you"

Before Ares could jump out of his throne and attack Perseus, Apollo came back from his trip with a satisfied look on his face. He swiftly grew his godly size and sat on his throne, a wide grin planted on his face.

"Now that Apollo is here, we may proceed with the caucus. Athena, you may go first as you suggested it" Zeus said, completely forgetting what Perseus had said just a few seconds earlier

"Thank you Lord Zeus. Olympians, we are gathered here today as part of our ordinary council meeting. However, not every year do we have two children of the Big Three and a rogue god with us. Their presence only confirms what we had been fearing for many years: the end of our era is near. The prophecy stated that a child of the eldest gods would turn sixteen and that he or she would either save us or doom us. Well, in only a day one of them will turn sixteen, and yet we do not know exactly where her loyalties lie. We should not think of them as children, rather as threats to our safety. That is why I propose that we exterminate the daughter of Zeus and son of Poseidon so that the prophecy at be stopped" Athena finished her speech with a glare at the son of Poseidon

"YOU WILL NOT HARM MY DAUGHTER!" Zeus yelled, grabbing his master bolt and standing up.

At the same time, Poseidon took his trident and pointed it at the goddess of wisdom. "I DARE YOU TO TOUCH A HAIR ON MY SONS' HEAD"

"Zeus, calm down. The moderated caucus is still in order" Hera told from her seat. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Zeus calmed himself down and sat on his throne.

"Who wishes to speak next?" Apollo raised his hand, "Apollo, you have the floor"

The sun god stood up, "Thank you Your Honor. Delegates, we are here because of a simple reason...because we have to. Let's be honest, nobody likes being stuck here for hours fighting over stupid stuff. Today, however, the pattern of the meeting has been changed. First of all, we have visitors from all over the country! I mean, even Florida is representing...that's a first. With this change, a decision has been put in our hands. Do we unfairly punish the children? Or do we become the bigger persons and help these children through the tough times? As the god of prophecy, I know that the prophecy will occur regardless if we kill these innocent children. So why spill more blood into our hands? I say we let them live, cause when the time comes, they will remember our faces when they save Olympus" he sat back down

Ares stood up, "I say we kill them right now! That punk will doom us tomorrow if she gets the chance! We cannot allow a pitiful demigod to destroy us"

"I agree with Ares. Thalia Grace is a menace. She will turn 16 tomorrow and is nowhere near ready to save us from the Titans" Demeter told standing up

"SILENCE!" Zeus yelled, "Artemis, I like your proposal. We just need to see if she will take it"

"What proposal?" Hermes asked while texting on his phone

"As many of you know, the hunt is without a lieutenant. Thalia is a very strong, smart, and good maiden who I would gladly have on the hunt. If she so desires, I would like to offer her a place in the hunt, as a lieutenant. This would stop her from aging immediately, which would mean that the prophecy would no longer fall into her. So, Thalia, do you accept?" Artemis turned to Thalia.

The demigoddess daughter of Zeus did not like being put on the spot like that. Every being on the room was staring intensely at her, all waiting for her response.

Whether she said yes or no would affect her whole life. On one hand, she could live all her life as a fifteen-year-old, without knowing what a family feels like, or what a kiss tastes like. On the other hand, she would die if she said no to the proposal.

"I accept Lady Artemis" Thalia Grace grinned.

Artemis let out air that she didn't know she was holding.

"Great, now repeat after me" The goddess of the hunt proceeded to say the oath, which Thalia gladly repeated. Once Artemis accepted the oath, Thalia began to glow a silver color. She looked stronger and healthier, with more powerful energy surrounding her.

"Well that solves Zeus' daughter. Now, what should we do with Poseidon's kid?" Hephaestus asked, tired of seeing the hunt's ritual

"I propose we kill him. It is the only way we can be sure that he will not pose a future threat" Athena said

"I also believe he should be killed" Ares proudly stated

Artemis stood from her throne, "are we seriously suggesting that?! How can we punish those who have just saved us? If this is Olympian Justice, then I wish no part on it"

"And what? Join the Titans?" Athena mocked

"Why not? I am half titan after all, and you are behaving like them right now. I might as well stay neutral during this war" Artemis glared

"If my little sis doesn't fight, then I won't either" Apollo stood up

"Traitors! You do not care for the future of Olympus, rather your well-being. We are just trying to stop the prophecy, and subsequently, the death of thousands" Athena proclaimed

"The prophecy will happen no matter what! We should help the child of the prophecy during his development, so that he may be able to help us in the future. We cannot simply run away from our problems" Poseidon yelled

"You can't seriously think that one of your children will be able to save us" Athena scoffed

"I don't think, I know it" Poseidon replied

"Stop talking you two. We should pass onto voting, as I'm getting tired of all of this. Motion in favor of letting the demigods live?" Zeus asked

With the exception of Athena, Ares and Dionysus, all the Olympians raised their hands. "This motion clearly passes. You are all free to go" Zeus said, moving his hand and teleporting the demigods to another place, leaving only Perseus standing in the middle of the Throne Room.

"Umm, hey?" Perseus said innocently, feeling just a little intimidated by all the flares he was receiving

"You vile creature. Tell me, how did you manage to escape from your cursed island?" Zeus' face turned red at the sight of the god of tides

"Excuse me, but who is he?" Hephaestus asked

"He is a creature that should've never been born" Zeus replied

"Well, that's a little broad Zeus. My name is Perseus or Perseus Jackson for any mortals. I'm the first god born out of two gods, so like my mom and my dad are both gods. I'm the god of a bunch of stuff, which include childhood, tides, feelings, technology, hospitality, secrets, humor, sacrifice, and time. I know, time is kinda taboo here, but I'm not bad I swear. Anyways, because Zeus here was jealous of me, which I can't blame him for, he banished me to an island when I was just a baby. Then, get this, he married my mother and forced my father to marry another woman. I'll leave you to figure out who my parents are" Perseus said, earning the wide eyes of many gods.

"B-b-but when? That isn't in any book I've read" Athena muttered

"Dude I don't know, probably thousands of years ago. And of course, it wasn't in any book, it was kept a secret for a reason" Perseus smirked

"How are you here?!" Zeus yelled

"You literally said it earlier dude, I escaped. We need to start a bruh chain. Bruh..."

"Bruh" Apollo joined

"Bruh" Hermes continued

"STOP IT BEFORE I SMITE ALL OF YOU WHERE YOU STAND!" Zeus lost control

"And here I thought that the parliamentary procedure wasn't just a show..."

"Boy, I am not in a mood for your jokes. Tell me right this instant, how did you manage to get out of your imprisonment"

"Fine, ruin my fun, it's fine. It was one fine August day, or maybe it was July, I don't know but it was hot" Perseus began to tell

"Get to the point!" Zeus fumed

"Don't yell, you're scaring me" Perseus let a few fake tears fall, "as I was saying, it was a really hot day and I was on my island. It was a really horrible island, but I made the best of it, you know? I planted my plants and did my own swimming pool like those Indian guys on YouTube. Have you seen em? Wait no, that won't happen for another twelve years"

"Gods you have more ADHD than our children" Hermes commented

"I know, that's what makes me so fun. Anyways, I was living my life when suddenly a woman arrived. This wouldn't have been strange under normal circumstances, except for two things. First of all, this chick was a total hottie, like a real babe, and she visited me on my island, unaccompanied. It was also weird because nobody had ever been on my island except for me, and there was no way that I could get out. I had tried to sail out of the island like Moana, but I couldn't do it. A strange force kept me captive there"

"Isn't Moana a European adult entertainment actress?" Apollo asked

"Right, the movie hasn't come out yet..."

"Which movie? I've seen plenty of them"

"A Disney one. Stop distracting me! Ugh!" Perseus shook his head. "On with the story. Fast forward, I spent a lot of time with this girl, and I fell in love with her. So, naturally, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. To do that, however, I needed to get out of the island, because she had a life outside of it. One thing led to another, I talked to the fates, I almost died, blah blah, the point is I got married and because of some weird rule, I was able to get out of the cursed island. Some decades passed, I started my own businesses, became a millionaire, went viral on Hephaestus TV, and other typical men stuff"

"That's where I know you from! You appeared on some photos with Aphrodite on Hephaestus TV!" Dionysus woke up just to say that

"Right, I remember you now" Hephaestus murmured

"Yeah, that was an unfortunate moment of my recent life" Perseus scratched his head

"But at least it wasn't as bad as when I caught you on a date with Athena" Apollo laughed, earning a glare from the god of tides, who in turn earned a glare from Artemis

"And if I remembered that moment was supposed to be kept a secret because I had no say in the matter," Perseus said with clenched teeth

"Right...oops?" Apollo grinned innocently

"Silence! From what I've heard so far, many of you already knew of Perseus' existence. Raise your hands everyone who knew about him, regardless of the level of familiarity" Zeus decreed

One by one, everyone's hands started to go up until only Ares hand was down.

"Huh?! How am I the only one who didn't know about him?" Ares pouted

"Guess I'm just popular amongst the cool kids Ares" Perseus winked at his little brother

"Enough! Each of you shall tell me how it is that you know about Perseus' existence" Zeus ordered "We will start in order. Hera and Poseidon are excused from explaining themselves. That means that the one who should start explaining herself is Demeter. Sister, care to tell?"

"I was sitting in my palace when, suddenly, I felt a great disturbance on one of my cornfields in Nebraska. Naturally, I went to check out what was happening, when I met this disgusting man and a very respectable teenager. I think his name was Hector, although my memory may be failing me. I engaged in a few words with this man, grew tired of the conversation, and went here to Olympus to investigate further on his existence" Demeter explained their encounter

"Was there any further contact?" Zeus asked

"No, brother"

Zeus nodded, "very well. Athena, it is your turn to explain"

"Back in 2004, I was in one of my favorite book stores in New York, and I saw him buying a children's book. We talked for a bit and I invited him for coffee. He accepted-"

"Objection, your honor. That is completely false, I rejected her proposition at first" Perseus interrupted

"Overruled. Continue Athena"

"As I was saying, I was able to convince Perseus to come and get some coffee with me"

"You blackmailed me!"

"We talked a little bit in the coffee shop, but I could not extract any information besides the fact that Apollo was his friend and that he owned a hotel in Orlando." Athena finished her tale

"I understand there was no further contact after that?" Athena shook her head, "great. Aphrodite, I understand that you know Perseus very well"

"Well yeah, he's my friend and has been helping me out a lot when it comes to saving my children, but that's all it is. I first knew about him because I felt a lot of heartbreaks coming from many of the women that met him. Naturally, I went to check out who was creating the disturbances in my domain. After that, we became friends and nothing more Lord Zeus. The rumors about us are just rumors. Never has anything even slightly romantic happened between us." Aphrodite laced her words with charm speak, making Zeus nod at her words without even processing what she was saying.

"Of course. Apollo, how do you know Perseus?" Zeus asked his son, breaking off from his spell

"I met him back in 2001 and became his friend cause he's really cool. Honestly, I get that he may be powerful and all, but he wouldn't dare do anything to anyone. So we can stop this trial. Hephaestus and Dionysus only know him because of a report, and Hermes knew him through me. There's no need to dig in deeper than necessary" Apollo laughed nervously

"What about Artemis? She raised her hand, which means she knew about his existence" Zeus raised an eyebrow

"I probably mentioned him once or twice. You know how I am, spilling secrets here and there. I sleep with a nightlight! Oops, there I go again spilling secrets. Gods, Apollo you need to learn to control yourself"

"Apollo, stop it," Artemis said from her throne, "the truth has to come out"

"No it doesn't!" Apollo counter-said

"What truth?" Zeus asked on the edge of his seat

"Father, as you may have noticed, my behavior has been quite different these past few centuries. Well, at first I planned to tell you this soon after the Second World War, but after the prophecy and everything, I was advised not to tell you until later. It is now that time, the truth has to be said. Lord Zeus, fellow Olympians, the reason Perseus was able to escape his imprisonment is me. It was declared that if Perseus married an Olympian, he would be able to escape the cursed island."

"Artemis...you're saying..." Zeus muttered

"I, Phoebe Artemis, goddess of the hunt and moon, love Perseus, god of time and childhood"


	27. Remember the past

It was a normal day in a small mountain town where the events transpired. Well, it was not a mountain town as we are used to the term being used, but it did have neighboring mountains and rivers.

Hot Springs, South Dakota, was just an average small town from the Midwestern United States. Nothing unusual happened in the town. People went to the local movie theater, women did their groceries, and some kids went to school.

There was one restaurant called "Allen's Ranch", in which a very special boy worked. It was prided with their exquisite steaks and great costumer service, although they took a long time to serve the food. However, with the courtesy of the waiters, the establishment stood open for years.

Being one of the few restaurants in the town, the staff became close. Allen Olson, the owner of the establishment, treated each and every one of his employees just like family members. From the young boy who had arrived in town a year ago, to the middle aged divorced woman who worked on the cash register, everyone was important in the little environment Allen's Ranch has become.

Allen Olson, being the good man he was, always seemed to seek for the good in his people. From matching them with future partners, to finding them some local apartment for rent, Mr. Olson always did his best to provide the employees with the best care available.

However, no matter how much he tried, there was one boy who he could not convince to continue a good path in life.

"You're a smart boy Oscar, try to go back to school. You shouldn't waste your future in a place like this" Allen Olson told the boy every day

"I'm not meant for school Mr. Olson. My future is serving steaks here" Oscar replied

"I've known you for over a year Oscar, I know who you are. I know you want to have a good future, but in order to have that, you must go to school."

"And then what? Study in a university and get a boring corporate job and see if my parents will finally look for me? If they didn't want me before, then they don't deserve me when I'm successful"

"But in order to be successful, you need to work your ass off. Enroll in school, get good grades, and make a name for yourself. I'll even pay for your books and materials, just please try and learn like a kid your age should" Mr. Olson pleaded

"I'm sorry Mr. Olson, but I don't want to go to school. I'll make a name for myself some other way, in any way I can. But thank you for the offer" Oscar grabbed his jacket and his keys, "Good night Mr. Olson"

"Good night Oscar. You can take tomorrow as a free day, you've worked too much today" Mr. Olson waved his hand

"Thanks Mr. Olson!"

Walking to his home, which stood easily five miles away from the restaurant, was a difficult task that Oscar had to overcome every day. At 11:30pm, and at the bad part of town, a fifteen year old should not be walking alone. But Oscar had no choice. He was living alone in a trailer he bought himself, needed a steady income for him to buy his basic necessities, and was a "high-school dropout" with no chance of going back in.

As always, when Oscar passed through the neighborhoods, he tried to make the least noice as possible, and try to pass through unseen by anyone. Not that he was in hiding from the law or anything, he just didn't know how people from that part of town might react to a boy walking alone.

Taking quick but calculated steps, Oscar made his way through the four miles in 45 minutes. It was late and the moon was not shinning bright, but nonetheless Oscar didn't get tired from walking such a distance. After a year or so doing the same thing, his body got used to the distance.

Oscar arrived at the front steps of his trailer. It stood right in the middle of nowhere, just on the outskirts of town with no neighboring trailers. As the boy was about to step on the first step of the stairs that lead to the door of the trailer, an arrow pierced him right on his right leg.

"Fuck" Oscar said loudly, quickly moving up to the entrance of his home. Then, a second arrow flew from the same position and pierced Oscar's left kneepit.

The boy fell down the stairs from the pain and loss of balance. Sensing that he was in danger, Oscar painfully pulled himself up and walked up the stairs, using the railings as support. He quickly got to the door and got his keys out. Thankfully he only had the one key, meaning that no horror movie 'checking and failing to see which key is the right one' cliché would not happen.

However, as soon as Oscar opened the door, a sword was put on his neck.

"Get in" an angelic voice said. Oscar quickly obeyed and entered his house, falling onto the first item or furniture he found.

"Sit up" a guy said

"I can't sit if I got arrows sticking from my legs genius"

Before Oscar could comprehend what was happening, the two arrows were taken out by force, earning a scream from the young boy. Then, a cold liquid was applied to the wounds, making them heal almost instantaneously.

"Now you can sit" the same guy said.

Oscar, not wanting to annoy the people who had literally shot him, sat up quickly on the furniture. He looked up to see who were the people who had attacked him, but he found that they were four unidentifiable figures. One of them was a woman, however, but he didn't know who she was.

They all had black baggy pants, which looked excellent for movement, a black hoodie, a black bandana, and a mask that only covered their mouths and noses, in a way that Oscar could only see their eyes. The tallest guy had blue eyes, another had green, another seemed Chinese or some type of East Asian, and then the girl had blue eyes. They all carried some type of weapon, which didn't help Oscar relax in his predicament.

"Who are you?" Oscar asked the intruders

The asian guy unleashed his sword and put it right on the side of Oscar's face.

"You don't get to ask questions, we do." The asian guy said in a rough voice

The tall, blue eyed guy put his hand on the asian guy's shoulder.

"Relax Ethan, we don't want to scare him. After all, we need him to join our cause" the blue-eyed man said

The asian guy grunted, but followed orders and put his sword away.

"Great, now we can have a conversation. It seems so sad that in today's society we cannot talk casually" the blue eyed man took a seat in front of Oscar

"What do you want from me?" Oscar asked with hatred through his eyes

"Hey relax man, we just want to help you out"

"You shot me with two arrows!"

"And it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. But we didn't come here out of boredom, we came here with a mission"

"Yes, we want to keep you safe" the asian guy continued

"and while we keep you safe, you can help us achieve our goal" the green eyed boy said.

Oscar stared at the four figured, unsure of the truth behind their words.

"Why would I need protection?" Oscar inquired

The blue eyed chuckled, and the other two boys followed his lead. "Well because you're a forbidden child Hector"

Oscar got a weird look on his face, "Hector? My name is Oscar Jackson and as far as I'm concerned, I'm not a _forbidden child_" he said mockingly

"What do you mean your name is Oscar?" the blue-eyed boy asked

"That when someone says Oscar, I tend to respond instantaneously. And that if I have to sign something, I use Oscar Jackson"

The green-eyed boy sighed "I guess we have the wrong person. Sorry to bother you"

"Wait, if he was a mortal he would not have healed with the Nectar, nor would the arrows have harmed him. He must be a demigod" the asian guy said

"A demigod?" Oscar asked

"Yes. A demigod. One of your parents is a god" the asian boy continued

"Yeah, doubt that. How can I trust anything you guys tell me if I can't even see your faces?" Oscar asked

" We are not allowed to reveal our faces on this mission"

"You told me you wanted to protect me, and for me to help you guys achieve your goal. However, how can I know if I'm sincerely being protected when I cannot even see the faces of my so called saviors. Furthermore, if I do not know what your goal is, how can I help you achieve it?"

The four individuals exchanged looks with each other, and then looked into the eyes of Oscar.

"Alright, each one of us will take off our masks and tell you our names. Then, we will tell you our plan and then you can decide if you want to join us" The tall blue-eyed boy said"

"Sounds good to me"

"Perfect. We will go in order of least to most important. So, Alabaster, you can start" the blue-eyed boy commanded

"Since when am I the least important?!" The green-eyed boy yelled in outrage

"Stop complaining and just do it. We don't have all night"

"Fine" the boy took off his hood and a bunch of black hair appeared. Then, he took off his mask and a freckled face appeared. "My name is Alabaster C. Torrington and I'm a son of Hecate. I am the first general of the Titan Army, which we will explain to you in greater detail in a few moments"

"You look tired" Oscar noted

"I always look like this"

The girl then stepped forward and took her hood and mask off. Long, silky brown hair flowed from the head of the girl, and a beautiful face appeared from behind the mask.

"Hi Oscar, my name is Silena Beauregard and I'm a daughter of Aphrodite. I'm acting as an undercover agent in one of the main sites where our enemy is situated" The girl, now identified as Silena, said. However, it could be clearly heard some kind of regret on her words

"You're a spy?" Oscar asked bewildered

"That's another way to put it" Silena replied sadly

"She says it like that, but she knows that we do it for the good of our kind. Ain't that right Silena?" the blue eyed one grabbed Silena by the waist and pulled her close

The daughter of Aphrodite blushed, "yeah"

The asian guy stepped forward next, taking off his hoodie and mask somehow simultaneously. He looked very serious, not necessarily a bad person, just serious.

"I'm Ethan Nakamura and I'm a son of Nemesis, goddess of balance" The asian guy introduced himself

"You're Japanese then, not chinese..." Oscar spoke, although it seemed as he was talking more to himself

"Yes, Japanese people are much more organized and do not eat every animal in existence. Please do not confuse us"

"I won't confuse you...but you still sound pretty racist towards Chinese people, which frankly isn't a good sign" Oscar told

Ethan brought his hands to his face and sighed deeply, "sorry about my words"

"It's not me you should be saying sorry to" Oscar rolled his eyes

"Enough! Talk about non-important issues later, I have yet to introduce myself" the blue-eyed boy said loudly, which made Ethan back away and Oscar look surprised. The blue-eyed boy then took off his mask and hoodie, revealing a scarred face and blonde hair.

"I am Luke Castellan, son of Hermes, and future host for the Titan King" Luke said proudly

Oscar's eyes narrowed as he tilted his head, "Titan what?"

"Oscar, we need you to join us in this upcoming war-"

"WAR?!" Oscar yelled getting up, only to be pushed down by Alabaster

"Yes, war against Olympus. You see, the Olympians have been using their power to suppress the lives of minor gods and titans alike, which means that minor gods do not get as much recognition or benefits as the Olympians. Their children must be confined to the Hermes cabin just because minor gods do not have their own cabins" Luke was explaining

Oscar our up his hand in a 'stop' command, "wait wait wait slow down, 'cause it's like you're speaking chinese to me right now. Who are the Olympians?"

Luke groaned, "I don't have the patience for this. Silena, you do it, charmspeak him if necessary"

Silena nodded, "Oscar, you're going to give me your undivided attention" Silena laced every word with charmspeak

Oscar nodded his head, commanding Silena to continue in with the story, "The Greek Pantheon, what you learn as the religion of the Ancient Greeks, is all real, and unfortunately you are a part of it. Some god or goddess decided to have a baby with your mortal parent, making you, a demigod. Now, us demigods must, in summer, go and stay at a summer camp called Camp Half-Blood. There we learn how to defend ourselves from monsters, and we live alongside other demigods.

"There are twelve cabins, one for every Olympian. This means that, once you are claimed, you go on to live with your siblings. However, the problem comes when godly parents forget they have children, and so those unclaimed children must live in the overcrowded Hermes cabin, alongside the Hermes children and the children of minor gods who do not have a cabin for themselves. What we want is to change the system by putting another person in charge" Silena explained in the simplest way possible

"You forgot the fact that our godly parents expect us to complete already done quests just so they can recognize us. And while in those quest, one might come back injured or with scars that show your failure to Olympus" Luke said angrily

Oscar raised his eyebrows, "okay...well, I get your point and I guess you're correct? However, I do have one question"

"Which is?" Luke asked

"Well it's actually two questions. First, why do you need to protect me? Second, why do you need me? I just found out about this life, have no idea how to use any weapons, and have been living peacefully until you guys came along and SHOT ME, don't think I forgot about that" Oscar said angrily

"Well in reality we don't need to protect you as you are not who we thought you were. And, we need you because every demigod is important in this quest for balance and justice. All demigods have at least some talent in one area of combat, which means that everyone is important during the battle. We just hope that you share our dream of ending injustice" Ethan told

"Think of it this way. In the fight to end segregation, we are Martin Luther King Jr. while the Olympians are the southern states governments. In which part of history do you want to be recorded in?" Alabaster said

It was a compelling argument, Hector couldn't deny that. That did not mean, however, that he wished to be part of a literal war when he could be serving steaks at the restaurant.

"It's a lot to take in, and I feel way too tired to make such an important decision right now. So how about I call you tomorrow"

"Alright, but use this" Luke said handing Oscar a weird coin, "make a rainbow, throw the drachma and say 'Oh goddess Iris, please direct me to Luke Castellan aboard the Princess Andromeda in the Atlantic Ocean"

Oscar looked at the coming in great detail. It seemed to be the previous currency the Greece used before they changed to the Euro, right before their economic crisis. Why a goddess would want to have an outdated coin was beyond him, but he was in no mood to question everything. After all, Oscar just wanted to fall asleep.

"Will do, thanks. Now, if you excuse me Mr. Castellan, Mrs. Beauregard, Mr. Nakamura, and Mr. Torrington, I would like to sleep right now" Oscar said standing up and heading towards his bathroom. "You know the way out"

"Right. Thank you for listening to us" Ethan said before heading out alongside the rest of the group.

Once the door closed, Oscar exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. The boy entered the bathroom and turned on the light, looking at his reflection on the mirror. His brown-auburn hair was a mess, his green eyes were mostly red, and his eye bags were extraordinary. The smile he wore while at work was long gone, only the miserable look of an orphaned teenager remained.

"Thank god tomorrow is a free day at the restaurant" he sighed, grabbing his blue electric toothbrush and his Colgate Optic White toothpaste. It took him a minute to fully brush his teeth, and just about ten seconds to rinse water on his face.

"At least I don't have acne, so that's something going on for me" Oscar stepped out of the bathroom and walked to his sofa/bed.

The teenager took out his drachma and inspected it once again, "they really think I will join them after they shot me?"

"_But they do have a point though_" his subconscious replied

"I don't care if they have a point, they shot me. Twice"

"_Yeah but if you don't agree then maybe they'll come here and kill you"_

"Oh that's true...guess I'll have to really think about it" Oscar told himself as he threw the coin on the kitchen counter, which stood directly in front of him.

The next time Oscar opened his eyes, the sun was shinning brightly through his window. He groaned and looked at his clock, which notified that it was 2pm.

"How did I manage to get a full twelve hour sleep?" Oscar asked himself, getting up and doing his daily routine. Once he had eaten his breakfast, the teenager pondered which activity he should do that day, considering that he was off-work.

After a few minutes of thinking, Oscar decided to go to the town fair, which was only around two miles from him. Dressing up in a blue pant, a grey sweater and some sneakers, Oscar took his keys and wallet and headed outside.

It took him about 25 minutes to arrive at the fair, which was pretty small in comparison with other town fairs. But then again, who in their right mind lives in a South Dakotan town.

"Hey Oscar" a feminine voice said from behind him. Oscar turned around and saw a girl he had seen a couple of times in the restaurant before. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, with blonde curly hair and grey eyes. Yet, despite his absolute fascination with him, he did not remember her name.

"Hey you!" Oscar greeted the girl with a hug, "how have you been?"

"Great! I went to the restaurant today but didn't see you there, so I came here instead"

"Sorry, I took a day off" Oscar rubbed the back of his head

"You don't have to apologize. But hey, since you're here, maybe you want to do the games with me? My friends are nowhere to be found"

"I would love to be your partner in crime" Oscar grinned

"Perfect! Let's head this way first" the girl grabbed Oscar's wrist and pulled him with her.

The pair walked in silence until the blonde girl had had enough.

"Oscar, where does your name come from?"

"I think it's from either England or Ireland, and it means deer-lover or something like that. It's a coincidence that I like deers so much" Oscar chuckled, making the girl chuckle at the same time. "What about you? Where does your name come from?"

"Unfortunately, unlike your name, Annabeth is simply the combination of Anna and Elizabeth, which means it's a really white name" Annabeth said

_Annabeth! That's her name stupid. _"I like it though, it's really pretty"

Annabeth blushed, but was able to hide it. "Thanks, I like yours too"

The pair kept walking until they arrived at a kiosk where you had to throw a dart at some objects and make them fall.

"Let's do this" Oscar grabbed Annabeth's wrist and pulled her towards the kiosk. "Hey sir, I would like to do this game"

"Why of course young man. The big prize is this giant monkey stuffed animal. However, it is very hard to make it."

"Better to try than to not do anything. I can do this" Oscar said, grabbing a dart.

Each dart he threw made the objects fall. There must've been ten darts and he made then objects fall, not missing even once. Annabeth and the vendor stood shook by this act, not having seen anyone have that much accuracy.

"Never in my fifteen years as a carnival worked have I seen such a result. Congratulations sir, which monkey do you want?" The vendor said

Oscar turned to Annabeth, "which one do you want?"

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, "It's yours, you won it after all"

"Just choose a color"

"Fine, the black and yellow one" Annabeth said, pointing at the giant 52 inch stuffed animal.

The vendor took the giant gorilla off from the kiosk and handed it to Annabeth smiling. "Enjoy your prize. Well deserved that it is"

"Thank you" Annabeth and Oscar said at the same time.

They kept on walking through the carnival with nothing else to do, as they didn't really want another giant stuffed animal to carry.

"Thanks for the ape" Annabeth suddenly said

"Huh? Oh, no problem. Isn't it a monkey?"

"It doesn't have a tail, therefore it's an ape"

"So are we apes?"

"Yes, technically we are apes" Annabeth chuckled, "you know, you remind me a lot of someone"

"Really? Who?" Oscar asked

"There was this guy that had been my best friend since I was like seven but disappeared around the time I was twelve. I saw him again a year ago, but then he disappeared. Since then, nobody knows where he is or if he's even alive." Annabeth looked down

Oscar had no idea what to say at this sudden burst of information, "oh, umm, I'm sorry"

"Don't worry, it's fine." Annabeth said sadly

_"Way to ruin the mood_" his subconscious said

_"Shut the hell up_" Oscar thought right back

"Annabeth," Oscar said making Annabeth turn towards him, "it's getting pretty late. I better head home"

"Do you need a ride?" Annabeth blurted out

"No it's fine, it's only two miles"

"I'll take you. It's no problem for me, plus I feel a lot better if I knew you were getting home safely" Annabeth persisted

"Alright, take me home" Oscar said

The pair walked to the parking lot, where they got on on Annabeth's 1995 Honda Civic.

"I apologize for the state of this car. It was the only thing I could afford" Annabeth apologized

"I won't judge. Once you see my house you're going to thank that you had money to buy a car"

And so a walk that would've taken 25 minutes turned into a seven minute drive. Right on the side of the road stood Oscar's trailer.

"Thanks for the ride" Oscar said, stepping out of the car.

"Wait" Annabeth also got off the car, "can I see what your house looks like inside?"

_"Dude say yes, say yes or I swear to god I am going to kill you" _Oscar's subconscious said

"_No, it wouldn't be right. You know, I'm only fifteen"_

"_Dude, it's now or never. Once you are eighteen and still living in a trailer, all your sexiness is going to be gone, and you're going to die as a lonely fat alcoholic virgin"_

"Sure, you can follow me" Oscar said, motioning Annabeth to follow him.

Looking at his surroundings, making sure that there were no hidden ninjas ready to attack again, Oscar opened his trailer door and entered.

"Come on in. Mi casa es tu casa" Oscar opened his left arm, signaling Annabeth to enter his home

"Wow, it's cozy" Annabeth said looking around the trailer

"That's just another word for small, but still, I like it" Oscar grinned. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No, it's fine" Annabeth replied, "Is it just you here?"

"Mhm, I moved to town last year and was able to buy myself this trailer"

"What about your parents?" Annabeth asked

Oscar shrugged his shoulders, "Never met them. They abandoned me and I had to fend for myself. But it's all good. I have a stable job, have enough money to sustain myself, and am now talking to a great girl" he winked at Annabeth

Annabeth smiled and lightly chuckled, "Didn't know you were flirty"

"I have many secrets dear Annabeth"

Annabeth then noticed something on the counter. Picking it up, she noticed that it was a Greek drachma, the same currency the gods use.

"How did you get this?" Annabeth asked picking up the coin

"Oh, some lunatics came by yesterday, well technically today at 12, and told me that the Greek gods were real and that a war was about to occur, and they wanted me to call them with that coin and join them. I know it sounds crazy, but I was shot with two arrows and didn't want to get more hurt, so I just told them I would think about their offer" Oscar said as he got a coke out from the fridge

"They wanted you to join which side?" Annabeth asked as she sat down on the couch

"They said something about a Titan lord...I think they're against Olympus...I don't know, they said something about bringing justice to minor gods" Oscar sat down at the other side of the sofa

"You can't join them, they're evil" Annabeth blurted

"Wait what? You also believe in that crap?" Oscar asked as he out his coke on the side table

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true. The Greek pantheon is alive and it dictates our life. I'm a daughter of Athena and a part of Camp Half-Blood. I was sent here to check on a powerful being, and when I first saw you I though you were my lost friend, but then I found out your name was Oscar so I decided to befriend you and then take you to camp, to make sure that you weren't corrupted with the evil side."

Oscar then remembered how last night, the four ninja-type of group had called him another named, and how they though he was another person.

"Did you think I was Hector?"

Annabeth's eyes shined brightly at the mention of the boy.

"Do you know him?" She asked

"No, but the people who came here last night also called me by that name. Do I look like him?" Oscar explained

"Yes, identical in fact." Annabeth sighed

"Sorry to disappoint you" Oscar sat closer to Annabeth, putting an arm around her.

"Don't worry. So, where did you live before moving to town?" Annabeth asked, changing the subject

"In the woods...honestly though, I don't really remember much before February of last year. All I remember is that I woke up one day in the woods, and then decided to walk and find a place to get settled."

"That means you don't know of your life before February..." Annabeth muttered to herself, "How did you get your name?"

"Well after arriving to town, I needed to have a name in order to apply to a job. So I decided to take the name Oscar because I saw the sign of a lawyer, and then Jackson because it sounded familiar and sweet" Oscar replied

"Then that means...why did the titan army want to recruit you?" Annabeth asked

"They thought I was that guy Hector, and that they would protect me and I would help them gain victory"

"Why would Hector need protection?"

"They said something about being a forbidden child" Oscar took a sip from his coke.

Annabeth began to mutter to herself, "Hector...forbidden...missing after saving Artemis...Artemis married to that guy Perseus...Perseus mortal name is Perseus Jackson...Oscar Jackson"

"You said my name"

"I got it!" Annabeth yelled in an eureka moment, "I'm going to tell you something super confidential, so don't go telling it to other people"

"Don't have anybody to say it to"

"Great. Last year I was imprisoned by the enemy and was forced to take on the weight of the sky. Then, they captured the goddess Artemis and she took on the weight from me, leading to her not able to free herself. Because she is essential to Olympus reunions, there was a quest issued that was sent to rescue us. However, a second private quest was also issued by two individual gods and a demigod. Apparently, Apollo told Perseus, who was a god that nobody knew of its existence, and Hector that they needed to rescue Artemis"

"And did they?"

"In the end, they arrived at the site where we were being held captive. It was revealed that Artemis and Perseus had a son fifteen years ago, and that kid was Hector. They had abandoned him in order to save him from the wrath of the Olympians, and so he had to grow up not knowing who his parents were. After that, something happened that Hector got really mad, he emited a really intense blue light that put all demigods unconscious and apparently killed all the monsters. After that, however, he disappeared, and nobody has been able to find him."

"Why was his life in danger if his parents hadn't abandoned him?"

"The gods punishments are very severe. Artemis was not only a maiden and chaste goddess who broke her sacred vow, she broke it with a god who was banished from Olympus. Apparently, Poseidon and Hera has a child before they were even married, and Perseus was that child. Then, Zeus got mad and banished him to a remote and isolated island. Point is, a maiden goddess and a banished god making a baby means bad results."

"Ohhh, that makes sense" Oscar said

"Yeah. Now there are three factions of people who are looking for Hector. The Titan army wants to recruit him so he can help them destroy Olympus, Zeus and a bunch of other Olympians are trying to find him and make a unfair trial concerning his existence, killing him in the process, and then there's the rest of the gods who are searching him because they wish to save him. Of course, the leaders of the last movements are Artemis and Perseus" Annabeth explained

"What happened to Artemis and Perseus when the Olympians found out about their affair?" Oscar asked with an unknown source of concern

"I don't know really. No demigod was present during the meeting, so it's all based on rumors. Some say that Perseus was imprisoned for five months, and that Artemis was paraded around Olympus with a sign that said 'whore' while someone walked in front with a bell and an incense burner, chanting shame. Other say that Artemis was forced to give up the hunt, so every hunter became a member of the newly founded Athena's Troopers, but all of those are just rumors."

Oscar looked down without saying anything. For some reason, he felt extremely guilty about the outcome of those two gods.

"You say you don't remember anything from a year ago?"

"Only how to speak and basic history stuff. But I can't remember any event from my childhood, or who was my caretaker or anything" Oscar said

"How do you feel about hunting?" Annabeth suddenly asked

"I really would like to try it, but like with a bow and arrow or a crossbow, not with a rifle."

"And how do you feel about the ocean?"

"Haven't seen it, so don't know" Oscar shrugged his shoulders

"Then, which do you prefer, day or night?" Annabeth asked

"Most people prefer the day, but I like the night more. It just feels safer for some reason, you know, with the moon and all that. I mean, no terrorist attack have occurred in the night"

Annabeth sat staring at Oscar with her eyes narrowed. Her eyes were calculating the boy that sat next to her, all the while that same boy looked at her with confusion.

"I have an idea on how to make you remember, although there's a high probability that it may not work"

"I'll take the chance. Lowkey, I want to remember my childhood"

"Then I'll do it. But I must warn you, I've only seen this work in Soap Opera's, ok?" Annabeth said

"Don't worry. As long as it doesn't kill me or leave me more brain damaged than I already am, I welcome you to try you plan"

"Ok, I'm going to do it" Annabeth said. Oscar closed his eyes, afraid of the object that may hit him on the head.

Out of nowhere, he felt soft lips press against his. It felt amazing, a feeling he could not describe. Just the taste of her lips were spectacular, and the feeling that is gave him was even better. When he was about to break free from the kiss, a bunch of images returned to his memory.

There was the image of him learning how to use a bow and arrow, the image from him and Annabeth playing together, the time when Artemis took care of him when he was seven, even the time he was stuck on a car with Perseus.

As all those images returned to his memory, the boy pulled Annabeth away.

"Annabeth, thank the gods for Soap Operas"

Annabeth blushes and smiled, "did it work?"

"Yeah! And now I know what I must do"

"Which is?"

The brown-auburn haired boy looked at Annabeth and smiled, "I, Hector Carib Troy, will search for my parents and tell them the words that they've been craving to hear from me"

"I have a feeling I know what those words are, but what are those words?"

Hector grabbed Annabeth's face and kissed her once again, this time quickly and without any intention to be super romantic. "I love you"


	28. Punishment aftermath

It had been more than a year ago when the Olympians had found out about the romance and marriage between their most important maiden goddess and the banished god.

Artemis sat alone in the middle of upstate New York woods, thinking about that night. That one meeting where all her secrets were spilled in front of everyone, and her life was officially ruined replayed in her mind. Sure, she had decided to tell every member of the council herself, but she didn't really have another choice. She had to lie about how she knew Percy, and then act as if she did not care whatever happened to him.

The punishment she had received was justifiable, but it did not mean she wasn't angry or sad about it. After all, she lost her hunt.

The moon goddess sat on a lonely log, the moments which would change her entire life playing on her mind.

"What do you mean you love him?!" Zeus had yelled once he got over the initial shock of the news

"I love him father. I have loved him for centuries now" Artemis replied confidently

"She did not tell us about her marriage with a banished god. That is treachery, father" Ares told

"That is true, and she hid the fact also" Zeus touched his face

"That is ridiculous father! I have never, nor will I ever betray Olympus!" Artemis yelled desperately

Athena turned to the anxious moon goddess, "didn't you say, not even ten minutes ago, that you would betray Olympus if the son of Poseidon was killed?"

"I only said that because I was mad, and my emotions took over my judgment" Artemis tried to defend herself

"But aren't you filled with anxiousness and different types of emotions right now?" Athena counterattacked

With nothing to reply, Artemis slumped on her throne, Athena earning a giant grin.

"Lord Zeus, I propose that Perseus is punished for taking the chastity of a maiden goddess, and Artemis is severely punished for marrying an enemy of Olympus and potentially plotting a coup"

"What?! I never planned a coup!" Artemis yelled in outrage

"Never said you did, it's all possibilities. We can't rule anything out since you married an enemy" Athena replied calmly

"Your proposal is taken into account Athena. What do you think we should do as punishment?" Zeus said confidently

"I believe that we should send Perseus to be a live practice for the hunt for three months. Then afterwards we can imprison him right here in Olympus. As for Artemis, I believe that the hunt should be given to another patron, and all her possessions must be given to the custody of Olympus for the time of three years" Athena suggested

"That's insane! How can the hunt be given to another god or goddess if the Hunt is one of Artemis domains?" Apollo intervened

"Then we shall disband it, and give Perseus another punishment" Athena shrugged her shoulders

"But if you disband the hunt, all the hunters will resume their aging process, and Thalia Grace would be the child of the prophecy" Hermes then analyzed

"We cannot allow Thalia Grace to be the child of the prophecy. However, we also cannot allow Artemis to continue on without any source of punishment. So, I believe that the hunters should be given another patron and have another name. I suggest that we give them to Athena, as she is the only maiden goddess who can train them as an asset for Olympus," Zeus declared

"Father, you can't do this! You cannot take away my hunt! My hunters have been with me since millennia and we have a very special bond. You know that better than anybody" Artemis eyes began to tear up

"No Artemis! You must face the consequences of your actions" Zeus harshly said

"But what action deserves such a punishment?! I only fell in love, is that so bad? Why is it that almost everyone here can cheat on their spouses, sire several children with different lovers, and even a maiden goddess such as Athena can have children, but I can't live happily with the one I have loved for hundreds of years?" Artemis cried

"Because we never fell for an enemy of Olympus" Zeus glared

"Why am I an enemy of Olympus? I will literally side with you guys on this war" Perseus said desperately

"But you are a child of two gods who weren't supposed to have you. You are way too powerful to be trustworthy, and we cannot keep concrete tabs on you for some reason. Now, enough objections, time to settle on a verdict. Those who vote for the change of the hunt from Artemis to Athena, and the loss of property for three years of the goddess Artemis, raise your hand now" Zeus said

Only a couple of tentative hands rose, "those who vote against will be treated as traitors" Zeus then added

The gods who had decided not to put their hands up the first time tentatively voted in favor of the punishments, giving Artemis a pity look.

"This should not be valid. It is not a neutral vote" Artemis tried to defend herself, but the King of Gods did not pay any attention to his daughter.

"Now that we have settled on a punishment for Artemis, I believe we should think of possible punishments for Perseus. I liked the idea of Perseus being a life target of sorts, and also the imprisonments right here in Olympus, but I want to hear other options" Zeus continued

Apollo rose his hand, "father, I think it is unreasonable to put Percy in jail after having him tortured. Besides, he technically was already in jail for much part of his life, and we know that wasn't effective. I think that we should just let him free after his punishment"

Zeus stared at the Sun god intently, trying to figure out a hidden plan or something, yet he could only sigh in response. "Alright, votes in favor of Perseus being a live practice for the Yet to be Named special Olympus force for the duration on three months"

Having no other logical option, everyone's hands rose, voting in favor of the punishment.

"Now that the punishments have been decided, we can get this meeting done" Zeus said, but before he could conclude the meeting, a goddess spoke.

"Shouldn't we check that the couple had no children?" Demeter asked.

Artemis and Perseus closed their eyes, feeling the inevitable doom of their child.

"You are right sister, we should check if Artemis and the terrorist had any children. If any of you know, speak now" Zeus said.

Nobody spoke. Every god was staring at Artemis, trying to see if she would talk, all but one, who was looking at the ceiling trying to be discreet.

"Apollo, surely you would know if your sister had any children. So tell us, did she conceive a child with this monster?" Zeus asked his son

Apollo started to sweat. He looked around the room, trying to find support from any member of the council. Finding no comfort, the sun god proceeded to look at his sister. Artemis was looking at him with a very scared look. She knew that her brother could not lie, and that her sons safety would be put in jeopardy. But no matter what, she was not able to do anything.

"Well? I expect an answer" Zeus tapped his fingers on the arm rests of his throne

"A child was conceived. However, that does not mean that a child was born" Apollo tried to outsmart the King of Gods

"Was the child born?"

"Does the United State hold the most populated colony in the world during this century?" Apollo once again tried to outsmart Zeus.

"Then there was no birth" The king of gods sighed

"Father, there was a birth. What we need to know now is the name of the offspring and kill it so that it doesn't become a threat to us" Athena told desperately

"No! You will not do anything to my son!" Artemis yelled trying to defend her son. However, she soon realized that by doing this she had admitted to having one.

"So it is true...you have had a son with the sea spawn. What is his name?" Zeus asked, radiating power in order to intimidate his competition

Artemis shook her head, defying the orders of revealing her offspring. She was scared for his safety, as there was no knowing what Zeus might do to him.

"Artemis tell me now or I will smite you with my bolt" The king of gods yelled, grabbing his master bolt on one hand. The rest of the council looked between the two, anxious to see what the result of such confrontation might be.

Artemis shook her head once again, saying without the use of words that she would rather die than let her son be hurt.

"Very well, if that is what you wish" Zeus readied himself to throw his bolt at his once favorite daughter. Just as he was about to let his bolt go, a voice from the center of the room interrupted the action.

"Hector! His name is Hector" Perseus yelled from the middle of the room.

Every god looked at the center of the throne room, surprised that the god had just voluntarily said the name of his son. Artemis looked at him with betrayal, as he had just doomed their only son's future.

"Hector you say?" Zeus said as he lowered the bolt

"Yes. His whereabouts are unknown. Now that you know, please don't punish Artemis more than you already are" Perseus fell to his knees, bowing for the first time to the King of Gods

"I'll think about it. In the meantime, I decree an official manhunt of this Hector. Bring him alive, but if he refuses to come, just bring his body. Meeting dismissed" Zeus flashed out, alongside a number of other Olympians.

Only five gods remained on the throne room. Perseus, who stood frozen in the middle of the room; Hera and Poseidon, who walked towards their son for the first time in millennia; and Apollo, who walked towards his sister and hugged Heras if there was no tomorrow.

Artemis would always remember that one moment. It was the moment she realized that she had lost everything in her life. She no longer had her faithful companions, nor a place she could call home. But most importantly, she lost her son.

The moon goddess sat on the log, a lonely tear falling from her left eye. Ever since she lost her hunt, Artemis dedicated her whole life to search for her son. She had searched every forest and every city in the continental United States. She had started to search the east coast of the United States in hopes of finding Hector in a small town somewhere relatively close to where he grew up.

The crunch of a leaf was heard from behind Artemis.

She turned around and quickly stood in a ready position, prepared for whichever attacker might have gone to fight her.

But it was no attacker. The blonde hair and white smile of the sun god quickly told Artemis that she had nothing to worry about.

"Mind if I join you?" Apollo asked quietly. Without saying a word, Artemis sat on her log, putting her left arm up and pointing at another nearby log.

The god of music took the nearby log and dragged it to the side of his sister. He looked at her in great detail.

Although gods did not age, Artemis now stayed at a constant 20-something year old form, a form she almost never took. Her eyes expressed deep sorrow, and any trace of mirth had been washed off from her face long ago.

"When we were little, I remember how you used to hate when people called you Phoebe" Apollo began to say, "you always said that your name was Artemis. But still, nobody paid any attention to the little girl who said that her name was not hers. It wasn't until you beat up a random man who called you Phoebe that people took you seriously. Since then, you always tried to prove to everyone that you were strong, someone to be feared. I admired you for that. I mean, you made a name for yourself, literally"

"What is it you want to say?" Artemis asked in a hushed voice

"You changed. Ever since you met Percy, you became softer and less aggressive towards everyone. You didn't get bothered as much with my banter, and you became more of a family woman."

"You think I should break up with Percy?" Artemis looked at her twin, her eyes filled with tears.

"Change is good. It shows us that we are capable of becoming better people. Sure, I admired you when you were a cold girl. However, when you became softer and more in touch with your feelings, I noticed something I hadn't noticed before" Apollo paused, taking a deep breath

"You are so similar to mom."

"Then why can't I have just one chance to hold my son just like mom held us? Ever since his birth, I had to give him up. He resents me with all his being, yet all I want to do is hold him. Mom could hold us during our childhood, why can't I?" Artemis cried.

"Life isn't fair. The fates gives their toughest battles to some and then leave others in the shadows. Somehow and for some reason, they deemed you worthy of having such a tough life. Same with Perseus, and same with Hector"

Artemis looked down to her hands, "but I never asked for it. Some people can marry whoever they want and live happy for the rest of their lives, but if I marry who I want, look what happens"

Apollo chuckled, "Artemis, you don't know how lucky you are"

The moon goddess met her twins eyes, "what do you mean?"

"You're the only one of all the Olympians who married who you loved and maintains a faithful relationship. Even if it is not an ideal situation, you still managed to marry Perseus. As much as you hate your predicament, you have to analyze everyone else's too" Apollo said

"Could you expand? I'm not in the mood right now to reflect on everyone else's love life"

"Starting with Dionysus, he married the woman he loved, but is not faithful at all, or do I need to remind you of the reason why he's stuck at Camp Half-Blood? Next we have Hermes, who hasn't married anyone. Hephaestus married Aphrodite, but they do not love each other and they aren't faithful to each other. I haven't married anyone and probably never will. Then there's Athena, who says she's a virgin but that's total crap. I mean, she did it with a guy named Jean Bartholdi and then said that her son, Frederic Bartholdi was a brain child. No brain child would sculpt the Statue of Liberty modeling his mother. Anyways, next is Ares, who is married to his sister but is clearly unfaithful. Demeter is single as heck. Poseidon is married against his will, and so is Hera. Zeus forced Hera to marry, therefore it is not out of love. So you see, even if it sucks, you have to admit that you are pretty lucky"

"...so Athena broke her oath?" Artemis asked her brother

"Of course that's your take on all that" Apollo muttered, "Yes, she broke her oath centuries ago. However, I forbid you from going on and telling everyone about it. That's my blackmail material"

"But she isn't a Virgin, she isn't supposed to be running my hunt" Artemis said in outrage

"If you're going by that logic, then you shouldn't run the hunt either"

Artemis sat in silence

"Look, I know it sucks losing your hunt and all your property. And now Zeus and half of Olympus is looking after Hector because they want to capture him. The only thing I can tell you is to think of this as a fresh new start" Apollo said

"How can I start off from this?"

"Artemis, for the first time in millennia, you don't have anything holding you back. You can go away and it wouldn't matter, because you don't have the hunt to look after"

"Not helping" Artemis grumbled

"Look, once the war is over and the prophecy is completed, you will have a chance to live happily with Percy and Hector. There will be no need to hide anything anymore, and you can live the rest of your life as the family you always wanted."

Artemis smiled for the first time in a long time, "you're right"

"Im not right, I'm Apollo" the blonde haired god grinned

Artemis laughed, "whatever"

"I gotta go for now, but please talk with Perseus. It is very important that you do" Apollo told his sister

"I will if I ever see him again"

"Then you're in luck, cause look who's coming over there" Apollo pointed towards a dark side of the forest.

Artemis turned her head, "I don't see anything"

When she turned her head to face hear brother, the spot where Apollo once sat was empty.

"Artemis" a voice called from right in front of Artemis

The moon goddess looked at where Apollo had pointed and saw the man she needed to talk with. He had a shaved face, but all his features were the same as the last time she had seen him.

"Perseus" Artemis told

Perseus stepped forward under the moonlight. "Can I take a seat?"

"Sure. It may be a little hot since Apollo sat there"

"It shouldn't be a problem. After all, better a warm seat than a cold- Gods, did he fart a hundred times or something?" Perseus asked surprised

"Apollo has a hot ass, literally"

"You sure you're not also into incest?"

"Perseus" Artemis said harshly

"Sorry, my bad" Perseus apologized, "you wanted to talk to me about something right?"

"Yeah. Look, Percy, I know these past few years have been quite the rollercoaster for our relationship. Still, I love you so much and can't imagine life without you. And so, I was thinking if we could spend more time together. Right now, we both have the same goal, so why not try together?" Artemis proposed

Percy's anxious face turned happy, "of course I would love that Arty. I was so scared that you were going to call a divorce"

"You're not getting rid of me that easily. Sure, you may have angered me a lot in the past, and I mean a LOT, but I still love you and want nothing more than to spend my time with you, just like we did back in the island" Artemis grabbed her husband's left hand.

"Artemis, I know I may not have been the best husband ever, but my feelings towards you have not nor will they change. You are literally the reason why I can live, and I will forever be indebted to you"

"Percy, you gave me a child. Count that debt paid" Artemis kissed her husband. It had been years since they had been so close to each other, and although they (Artemis) didn't want to admit it, they had missed it. The kiss didn't last long, but it was enough to restore years worth of pain. Once they broke off the kiss, the stared at each other's eyes and smiled.

Perseus brought Artemis closer to him and hugged her with all his being, not wanting to ever let her go. "I love you so much Artemis"

"I love you too Percy" she replied.

Once they had recovered from their love confession session, Perseus conjured a bag of sour patch kids, leaving Artemis looking at him.

"What?" He asked

"Are you going to share?"

"No? Get your own bag" Perseus said as he opened the bag and ate three in a row. Artemis sat on her log looking at her husband with a serious face, "ugh, fine, we can share"

"Yay!" Artemis said as she grabbed six sour patch in a row, "so how did it feel being target practice for the hunt?"

Perseus stiffened, "you don't know?"

"Know what? That Athena is now the one in charge? Or that they changed the name to something really lame? What is it, the troopers?" Artemis said

"You aren't mad?"

"Well I'm not exactly thrilled, but someone helped me understand that it was necessary if I ever wanted to get on with my life. Sure, I loved my hunt and leading them, but that was in the past. At that time, I had nothing else to turn to. Now, I have you, so the hunt isn't a priority anymore"

Perseus raised an eyebrow, "are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Now stop avoiding the subject and tell me how it felt being their live practice" Artemis laughed

"They're a bunch of psychopaths, let me start with that. I know I was their live practice, but I would've died the first day if I was a mortal. I didn't scar cause I'm a god, but seriously, I think I lost my eye one day. And that was before they knew I was your husband!"

"What did they do when they found out?"

"Oh I don't know, I was unconscious for most of the time" Percy shrugged

"That bad huh?"

"Yep. But it's fine, that was my only punishment. After that, it took me a lot of time to get ready to meet you again. I mean, I was mentally tired even after being unconscious, hope you understand"

Artemis touched Percy's shoulder, "it's fine. Don't worry about it"

"How has your life been?" Perseus asked, curious on how his wife had been living for such a long amount of time

"I've traveled all around the US trying to find Hector. Right now I'm doing an extra deep search for him here on the east coast."

Perseus nodded, "I'm really sorry for telling his name on the council meeting. It's just that I couldn't stand seeing you get hurt, and my instincts overcame me. Also, your father would've just asked Apollo and known without any effort"

"He's not my father"

"Artemis..."

"He's not! I remembered when he had said that my happiness was what was most important to him. But did you see how he behaved? He was ready to kill me. That's not what fathers do" Artemis said outraged

"I'm sure he had his reasons Arty. Look," Perseus grabbed her hands, "I'm no fan of your father. But you and I both know that deep inside, he still loves you. Maybe you have to dig really deep inside, but that loves still exists"

"If you say so" Artemis replied not fully convinced.

They didn't speak again for several seconds, processing everything that had happened in that short amount of time. After around a full minute, Percy put his hand on Artemis thigh.

"You know, we haven't been together in a really long time" Percy said with a smirk

Artemis looked right back at Percy's eyes, "that's true. As much as I hate to admit it, I've missed you terribly"

"You have? Oh well, I must say that being alone hasn't been my favorite thing in the world either"

"I wouldn't think it was. After all, I remember a time when you couldn't get your hands off me" Artemis said as she approached seductively towards Percy

"It's not my fault I got hooked on you" Percy muttered, kissing Artemis lightly on her collarbone. The moon goddess threw her head back, leaving her exposed neck for her husband.

It was the first time in years that the couple had been so close to each other. And as the future would let them know, one night, as husband and wife, would solve all of their problems.

**Hey everyone! I know last chapter was a little bit wtf and bad (I'm actually mad at myself bc my worst chapter is my longest one by far) but i tried to make up for it on this one. I gave the Olympian reaction you were all waiting for (apparently I'm only good at cliffhangers as you could see), and I also have a little inside look into what the story will end up like. Also, these days may not be my best writing cause of the corona...I'm not sick or anything, but not being able to leave my house for three weeks is taking a psychological toll on me. That leads me to my "stay safe" part. Stay safe. Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. And thank you so much for the comments/reviews, they really mean a lot to me.**

**-MCD**


	29. Attacked by a goddess

The daughter of Athena sat right besides her best friend, the forbidden son of the goddess Artemis with an unknown god. She knew that Hector was very able to take care of himself, but there were so many people looking for him that she wanted to stay by his side. She had also analyzed the facts and knew that, by all technicalities, the boy was a god. How he bled red blood instead of golden ichor, or how he grew at a normal rate were things that she just couldn't comprehend.

If the mother had been Artemis and the father had been Perseus, another god, there was no way in Hades that Hector could be a demigod. There had been occasions in which two godly parents had made monsters, literal monsters. However, there had been no cases of two gods producing a demigod, none that had been recorded at least. So the question remained in Annabeth's mind: what exactly was Hector?

He had been sleeping for the majority of the bus ride. It seemed that he truly needed to rest, as if he somehow knew that they would not rest once outside the bus. Annabeth was also aware of this fact as much as she wanted to ignore it. Truth to the fact was that she was now helping a fugitive of Olympus, making her an enemy altogether.

Camp Half-Blood was the last place where they would want to go. After all, one step in Camp Half-Blood and all the Greek Pantheon would know exactly where to find Hector. That meant that they would need to find someplace safe, where neither the Olympians nor the Titan Army had much probability of finding them.

Annabeth also couldn't ask her mother for any kind of aid, as her mother was one of the main gods looking for Hector. One prayer to her and any plan of escaping would become obsolete.

The hours on the bus passed slowly; the journey from North Dakota to the East Coast was incredibly long. When the sun set, the daughter of Athena was already asleep, but the son of Artemis and Perseus was just starting to wake up. Hector stretched his arms and cracked his back, groaning at the pleasant feeling. He looked to his side and noticed that his travel partner was sound asleep.

"Jeez, does she do anything else than sleep?" Hector muttered, standing up from his seat and walking to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Hector pulled down his pants and sat on the toilet. Once he finished doing his business, instead of getting up and flushing his organic matter, the teenager began to think about his life in great detail.

While thinking, everything came as a big hit to his brain. His mother was Artemis, THE maiden goddess, and his father was the god he had spent days with on his journey to save his mother. Perseus, his father, was a banished god, which in turn made him the son of an illegal. After thinking about it for the first time in his life, Hector could finally comprehend the reason why his parents had left him at such a young age. He could finally comprehend what "did this for your safety" meant, and he was actually thankful for it.

Having to grow up without any of his biological parents had hurt him, but he finally knew that it was not an easy choice. Every day that he spent without his parents had been a day that was gifted to him by their difficult choice. Hector remembered how mad he had been when he first found out about everything, and he didn't regret or deny it. After all, it had been quite a big announcement in his life. He did however admit that he might have overreacted, just a little bit.

What he wanted to do now was to be with his parents. Give them a hug and tell them that he forgave them, tell them that he loved them with all his life, and maybe hope that they could somehow hide him from the wrath of Zeus. Hector knew that both his parents had received unjust punishments for their actions, but the worst punishment would be his death. And not only did he not want to hurt his parents, he also didn't fancy the idea of dying at such a young age.

His thinking was brought to an end by a knocking on the door.

"Occupied" he said startled, zipping up his pants and flushing down the toilet. Quickly, Hector washed his hands and opened the door. "Sorry for taking so much time"

"Don't worry about it" A middle aged man said as he entered the bathroom.

Hector quickly took a seat next to Annabeth, reclining his seat and taking a look at the feature film on the bus. The movie was Shrek, one of the best films in cinema history.

They were at the scene where they were helping Fiona escape from the castle, and somehow Donkey seduces the lady dragon.

"Hey look, you're on the TV" Hector heard someone say from his side. He looked and noticed that Annabeth was awake.

"What? What do you mean I'm on the TV?" he asked confused

The blonde haired girl pointed at the screen, "The ogre, Shrek, that's you"

"No way Jose. I can't pull a Shrek. The amount of sexual energy he radiates is much more than the amount I could ever muster."

Annabeth laughed, "if you say so"

"But hey look, you're also on the movie"

"Who am I then? Fiona?" the daughter of Athena smirked

"No, you're Donkey, 'cause you never shut up" Annabeth hit Hector after his comment, earning a laugh from the boy.

"Don't be so rude"

"Can't help it" Hector laughed until a growl was heard. Immediately Annabeth tensed up and began to take out her Celestial Bronze knife. "Don't take anything out"

"But-"

"There's no threat, that was just my stomach" Hector put his hand on Annabeth's, making her put her deadly knife away completely, "There we go, relax"

"We can't relax when we're on the run from the two most powerful forces on Earth" the daughter of Athena said

Hector's face turned sour at the comment. Taking both of his hands and fiddling with them, the son of Artemis began to weigh the problem he had at hand. There was no way to evade being a fugitive, as it was Olympian law and nothing he could do would change it. However, Hector knew that not everyone had to be affected by this law.

"Annabeth, I gotta tell you something serious" the green-eyed boy said

The daughter of Athena turned her head to him, raising her eyebrow, "What is it?"

"I know you want to help me out, and I'm really grateful for it. But I just can't allow my best friend to risk her life only for me. So, when we arrive at whatever state we're off to, I think we should go our separate ways"

Annabeth shook her head, "No, I will stay by your side. I know you can defend yourself, but you're going to be fighting against the Olympians and the Titan Army. You should at least have one person to help you"

"I can deal very well on my own, or at least until I find my parents"

"But that can be months for now"

Hector smiled, "It won't be, because for the first time in my life, I know who to be looking for"

Annabeth sighed, "I know what you're saying Hector, and I know that you mean well, but I just can't let you be alone when I know that I can help you out. I mean, even if we haven't talked in years you're still my best friend, and I want to help you"

"Won't Chiron get suspicious of your lack of intel on the powerful being in the South Dakotan town?"

The daughter of Athena tilted her head, "Do you not remember what I always used to say? Athena al-"

"Always has a plan," Hector finished, "I remember. So what's your plan?"

"I won't tell you. It has been scientifically proven that plans tend to fail as more people know about them"

"Scientifically proven?"

"Yes" Annabeth humphed

"Fine, whatever you say, but I trust you"

Annabeth smiled, "you better"

"By the way, why did we take a bus instead of your car?" Hector asked the daughter of Athena

"Because being the complete trash of a car that it is, it would've left us stranded in a state like Iowa"

"Damn that's smart. So why not a train then?"

Annabeth looked weirdly at Hector, "Deerie, since when has the train system worked in the US? After the industrial revolution and the railroad expansion, trains became almost obsolete here"

"That's the worst nickname you have ever come up with" was the only reply that the green-eyed boy gave

Annabeth glared at her companion, "You focused on the nickname?"

"Think of another nickname and then we'll talk"

"Fine"

The pair enjoyed the rest of the bus ride watching the movie, on repeat. When they got tired they slept, when they needed to go to the bathroom they went, and when they got hungry they ate from snacks that Annabeth had brought for the journey. The journey continued that way for about a day and a few hours, counting the parts when the bus stopped for a "leg stretch break" as the chauffeur liked to call it. Before they knew it, Annabeth and Hector arrived to their destination.

"Finally we arrived to...Jersey?!" Hector said as he got off the bus

Annabeth left the bus with her backpack on her shoulders, "Oh, I didn't tell you we were coming to Jersey?"

"This is the reason why the bus ride was so empty..."

"Stop overreacting Hector. I'm sure you'll like New Jersey"

The son of Artemis shook his head, "No way Annabeth. I'm a born and raised Newyorker, hating Jersey is in my blood"

"You don't even know where you were born! And I doubt Camp Half-Blood counts as New York" Annabeth grinned

"Just..ok?" Hector said

Annabeth laughed "Yeah yeah, whatever. Now come on, we didn't come all the way to New Jersey just so you can suffer. I mean, that wasn't the whole reason"

"I hate you so much"

"Right back at you" Annabeth said as she walked away from the station onto the beautiful city of Newark. The son of Perseus stayed waiting for his best friend to turn around and beg him to follow, but as Annabeth kept walking, he realized that the only thing that would happen if he didn't move was that he was going to get mugged.

Hector ran behind Annabeth, catching up with the daughter of Athena.

"So, why Newark?" Hector asked as they passed a coffee shop

"Oh we're not staying in Newark. We're staying in a more isolated place. Someplace where nobody will be able to find you "

"Why do I get the feeling that you're going to kill me in my sleep and then throw my body in the river?"

Annabeth hit him on the shoulder, "Stop joking around. We gotta get someplace like that quickly, before any deity notices some abnormal power surge in Newark"

"Won't they feel the power surge in any isolated place?" Hector asked

"Yes, but if it's isolated, it's much easier to put up traps and defend ourselves" Annabeth said as she took a giant map of New Jersey

Hector looked at his best friend and grabbed her shoulder, "Annabeth, you know it's not too late. I can manage for myself"

"Stop it with that or I swear I will kill you" the blonde haired demigod said slowly, looking at her companion straight into his eyes

"Why are you so determined to help me?"

"Because you saved me last year from the Titan army. I just have to repay you back" Annabeth said quickly

"Are you sure there's no other reason?"

Annabeth lowered her eyes, as if she were calculating wether or not to say something. She then quickly looked back up and shook her head, "that's the only reason. Now let's go, we can't afford many more interruptions"

The pair then walked through the city. No single person looked at them weirdly, all of them had their own stories to take care off. Even as they passed what seemed like a drug spot, no member of the group even noticed the two teenagers walking alone towards the New Jersey woods. They weren't the prettiest trees, or the most fertile soil, but it wasn't a bad place to hide.

Hector looked around as the woodland critters began to follow him. From the squirrels on the trees to different types of rabbits and raccoons, it seemed as if Pocahontas was walking through the forest. The son of Artemis then had an idea, an idea for a gift for his friend.

Briefly closing his eyes, the green-eyed boy conjured a small brown bunny. Then, he put the bunny up on Annabeth's head, making her stop dead on her tracks.

"Hector Carib Troy, get whatever this is off my head" Annabeth said in a deadly tone

"If you're going to act that way around him maybe I won't give him to you at all" Hector said as he took the bunny off Annabeth's head and caressing it

"You were going to give it to me?" The blonde-haired demigoddess said after taking a look at the bunny

"Him, not it. It has a penis" Hector said kissing the bunny

"Kissing the bunny after saying he has a penis totally didn't seem like gay bestiality"

"Why are you the way that you are?"

"Just the way I was made. Now give it to me" Annabeth tried to take the bunny

"No way, I won't give it to you now" Hector backed away

The pair of friends began to run around, laughing as they fought over who took care of the small bunny. Happiness was felt throughout the area where they stood, a happiness that would not last long.

As Annabeth was about to catch on to the son of Perseus, an arrow flew from the trees and embedded itself on Hector's right leg, making him lose balance and fall.

"Hector!" Annabeth yelled as she knelt besides her best friend. Quickly checking his wound, the daughter of Athena proceeded to pull the green-eyed boy so his back would be resting on a tree trunk.

"What is it with strangers and shooting arrows at my legs? Thank gods for my quick reflexes that I was able to send the little bunny away, or else he would've been dead."

"Be quiet for a second" Annabeth said as she looked at the arrow imbedded into her friend's leg. At a simple glance, it seemed like just any normal arrow, which meant that she needed to take it out for further investigation.

"Don't do anything" a female voice said from behind Annabeth. The daughter of Athena quickly turned around and came face to face with a blonde haired girl, no older than fifteen, who held a loaded bow. The leaves on the ground began to shuffle, and one by one, about a dozen of other girls came out of hiding. The oldest of the girls stood at around 15 while the youngest about 10. It didn't take a genius to figure out who the girls in front of them were.

"The hunters of Artemis" Annabeth said

"Actually," a final girl with black hair and electric blue eyes stepped forward, "We're now named the Troopers of Athena"

"Thalia" Annabeth breathed out

"Long time no see Annabeth. I would greet you as I normally would, but right now I have a mission to complete"

Annabeth gut twisted, "What is the mission?"

Thalia pointed at Hector, who was looking at everything in confusion, "We need to bring him to Olympus."

"Why? What has he done?"

While the two girls conversed, Hector began to pray to both of his parents for help. He didn't know if it would work, but it was worth a shot. After all, it was either die trying or die anyways.

"Hey mom, hey dad, could you help me out please? I'm about to die in New Jersey. Thank you" Hector said in his mind, receiving no response from either party.

"He is a traitor and must be punished as one" a girl from the side said

"What Nadia said is true. He is a traitor of Olympus and will be tried as one at the courts of Olympus. However, if he denies to come with us, then we have orders to kill him" Thalia said, glaring at the boy

"But he hasn't done anything wrong!" Annabeth defended her friend

"Unfortunately, you are wrong" a blonde woman appeared out of nowhere. The hunters now troopers bowed down at the presence of the woman. "It is such a pity that this boy was able to entice you to the point that you can't discern truth from falsehood, daughter"

"Mother, please don't do this" Annabeth pleaded

"Annabeth move aside" The goddess of wisdom ordered. Annabeth shook her head defiantly, "very well then. Atalanta, Esther, take her"

Two troopers nodded their heads and grabbed Annabeth by her arms. Annabeth tried to resist, but the two troopers overpowered her.

"Let me go!" Annabeth yelled

"Annabeth, be silent. I am only doing this for the great of Olympus. That boy right there, if not eliminated, will create an even greater rift between the Olympians, and we cannot afford that." Athena said

The goddess of wisdom stepped towards the boy resting at the tree trunk. She conjured her trusty spear and her shield, aegis.

Pointing the spear at Hector, the goddess spoke, "Hector Carib Troy, you have been summoned to Olympus. Orders have been given to deliver you with whatever means necessary and at whichever state, so I will not hesitate to end your life if you do not cooperate"

Hector gulped, "Lady Athena, it is an honor being at your presence. It is truly unfortunate that we meet under these circumstances, but I guess that's just what the fates have for us. As for going to Olympus, May I ask why I'm being summoned to such an important place of Western Civilization?"

Athena raised an eyebrow, "It seems Chiron has taught you good manners. You are being summoned to Olympus because of beliefs that you are a spy for the Titan army"

"I can assure you Lady Athena, I am no spy. All my life I've fought valiantly for Olympus. If you doubt my loyalty, then you would be accepting that you do not believe in the demigods who are fighting for you in this war"

"If you are no spy, then you would not have any problems with going to Olympus with me" Athena reasoned

"Normally that would be true. However, due to the nature of my manhunt, I am afraid that there will be an unjust trial against my being and it will end up in my demise" Hector then said

"That will not happen"

"I cannot be sure of that. After all, there is no way that under a just justice system Artemis would've lost her hunt. I mean, there should be a majority of votes in favor and I can count at least six gods who would not vote in favor of Lady Artemis losing her hunt, had they had a choice obviously" Hector said, glaring at the goddess of wisdom

"Are you saying that we are corrupt?" Athena glared at the ex-camper

"I did not say that, but it was implied" Hector grinned

Athena's face turned red in anger, "this is traitorous talk against Olympus and will not go unpunished"

"You can try to take me now" Hector said, "that is, if you can"

Athena stepped forward to grab the teenager, but before she could do anything, two arrows flew right in front of her, barely millimeters away from her nose. Startled, Athena looked towards the place where the arrows had come from.

Standing there were three figures, a woman and two men. Two of them had a bow with a quiver of arrows, while the other man had a sword.

"Athena, don't you dare do anything" the woman said

"Artemis, what are you doing here?" Athena asked coldly

"I have come to save someone in need" Artemis declared before moving her head in two directions, telling the two men where to move.

"You should not be here sister" Athena warned, taking her spear with both hands and pointing it towards Artemis

Artemis stepped forward, "I have lost everything. All my property has been taken away, my hunt now belongs to you, and I have lost the opportunity to create a family. You are not going to take the last thing I can still have"

Artemis scoffed, "you deserved that. If you truly want to fight, then I will let you fight the troopers first. Troopers, attack!"

Nobody moved at the command, which made Athena turn around in confusion. Much to her surprise, all the troopers laid frozen on the ground.

"What happened?!" The goddess of wisdom yelled

"Oh, that would be my work. I just froze them in their own time capsules. Pretty awesome right?" one of the men said, leaning from a tree

"Awesome is my word dude!" The other man said from besides the two teenagers, "but while you were doing that, guess who healed the wound on his dear old nephew"

"I see you brought the whole gang then" Athena sneered

"It was something really important. Now, are you going to flee or do we have to fight?" Artemis asked

Athena scoffed, "You have no chance against me. Only the Six Oldest have more power than me. Other than them, I'm superior to the every Olympian"

"Damn that hubris is toxic. Dude, Athena, you know that both Artemis and Apollo are able to rival your power right? And when you add me to the equation, that equals to some 4:1 odds. So, you should just flee" Perseus said twisting his sword

Athena looked between the three gods that were ready to fight her. She wasn't stupid, quite the opposite, so she knew that she held no chance on defeating the three of them. However, she could do damage in Olympian politics, which would damage them much more than any fight ever could.

Looking straight into Artemis eyes, the goddess of wisdom flashed herself and the troopers out of the forest, leaving the three gods and two teenagers alone.

Wasting no time whatsoever, Artemis ran towards her son and hugged him.

A word has yet to be invented that could closely resemble how much the goddess of the hunt had yearned to do that. Hugging her son closely, crushing his ribs, making him feel safe. She felt the arms of Hector slowly rise up and hug her back.

"Mom"

"Yes Hector, it's me" Artemis said with a river of tears falling from her eyes, "I'm your mother"

"I love you mom" Hector said, receiving another bone-crushing hug from his mother.

A voice cleared behind Hector, and so he turned around. Right in front of him was a god he had seen before, but never in the way he was seeing him right now. For the first time in his life Hector had clear evidence that his parents did indeed love him.

"I know you don't like me very much, but I-" Perseus began to say before being cut off by a hug from his son.

"Dad, I love you" Hector said. Perseus hugged his son back, a few tears falling slowly from his eyes. His hands trembled as he went to hug his son back, but once he could muster the strength to hug him, the god of tides could not let go.

"I love you too my son"


	30. Sacrifice for a broken heart

How can a boy express the incomprehensible joy felt when he hugs his parents for the first time? How is a boy supposed to react the moment after he achieved his life goal? His life, who by all means was now "complete", still had much left to go. He knew he needed to continue on with his life, he just needed to find a new purpose for it...as easy as that sounds.

Artemis was still in a state of shock due to the events that had transpired during the last ten minutes or so. It all happened so quickly, to the point where, if twenty minutes before anybody had asked the moon goddess if she thought she would have her family together, her answer would've definitely been a firm no. But life takes very unexpected twists, resulting in outcomes that nobody could've foreseen. Twenty minutes ago, the goddess of the hunt was walking on a very small college town in upstate New York alongside her husband in hopes of finding their lost child. As much as they looked, the couple could not seem to find their target.

But then, as if the fates had heard the prayers of the gods, the husband and wife pair heard the prayer of the one they were looking for. It was the first time either of them had heard their son call them "mom" and "dad", which made it all the more special. Artemis quickly grabbed Perseus hand and flashed towards another forest, not far away from the town but still far enough so that no person could even eavesdrop the conversation.

"You heard the same thing-" Perseus was telling Artemis before being interrupted

"Are you on your sun chariot right now?" Artemis asked out loud

"Are you talking to Apollo via your mind?" the god of time asked, receiving a nod from Artemis

"Can you put it on autodrive for a little bit?" Artemis asked Apollo, "It's something really important. I'll owe you one"

Apollo seemed to have said something obnoxious because Artemis rolled her eyes, "look, I don't have much time to explain. But please just come"

"Tell him I'll go to a strip club with him" Perseus suggested. Artemis eyes widened in shock as she mouthed a '_What?!_'

"Just do it. This is much more important than going to a strip club with your brother" the god of tides said

"Percy says he'll go to a strip club with you if you-" Artemis couldn't finish her sentence, because a flash appeared right before the couple

"Finally you'll come with me to a strip club! I've been waiting for this moment for so long, ever since I found out that my bro is actually kind of cool. I mean, no offense Artemis, but Percy here is clearly the light of your relationship. See what I did there?" Apollo told excitedly

The goddess of the hunt grabbed her twin by the ear, pulling him in the process and earning yells of complains, "listen here you big fiery ball of gas, this is the only chance I have to save my son and finally have a family. So shut up, be serious, and do everything I say no questions asked"

Apollo's eyes widened, "We're going to save my nephew?"

"yes, but we gotta hurry up" Perseus said

"Of course. So what's the plan?" Apollo asked

"I was thinking about just going in there ourselves without much banter. We're three very powerful gods, we gotta use that to our advantage. Plus, we have you Apollo for distance combat and healing, Percy here for close hand-in-hand and sword combat, and me as a mix of the two. So whatever we may encounter, we can do it" Artemis said confidently

"No foreplay, just go in, got it" Apollo smirked

Artemis hit him over the head, "Stop joking, but yes. Now hold my hand"

Both gods held the hands of Artemis as she flashed them over to the New Jersey woods.

"Where is he?" Apollo asked Artemis

"We don't know. He only said that he was going to die in New Jersey" Perseus grunted

"...you guys know New Jersey is a whole state right?" Apollo asked

"He's nearby. I can feel it" Artemis took off running, leaving her two companions behind.

"Wait up!" Perseus said running after her, followed by Apollo.

The goddess of the hunt came to a complete stop once she was around sixty meters from the scene. As her husband and twin brother arrived, she simply pointed at the multitude.

"How did you know so quickly?" Perseus asked

"Call it mother's intuition. Or maybe call it 'He's being attacked by former hunters who still maintain some sort of connection to me and so I immediately knew what was happening'"

The men nodded, "So what's the course of action?"

"Percy, you take on the huntresses, but don't hurt them too much, at least try to. Apollo, you go and free Hector and heal him. I'll distract Athena and then fight her. Do you agree to this plan?"

Both gods had said yes, and soon after the enemy was defeated. Artemis and Perseus had reunited with their child, and Apollo and a daughter of Athena stood fourth and fifth wheeling.

But as soon as the happiness returned to a normal state, a very big problem dawned upon the gods. They had spent all their time trying to find their son but none on what to do with him once found. Hector could not go to Camp Half-Blood, he could not go to any of Perseus residences as they were being heavily monitored, and they could not stay living in the woods until the war was over.

"We may have won this battle, but the war is still not over" Hector said as he analyzed the look on his mom's face

"You are right my son. As much as I hate to admit it, the plans posterior to your rescue were not thought through" the silver goddess admitted

Apollo clapped his hands, "I got it! He can go with me and Perseus to the strip club and stay hiding there"

"Apollo you are not taking my son to a strip club!" Artemis yelled with her face completely red

"Why not? The Uranüs Lounge and Gentlemen's Club has a great buffet! Plus, the girls and Hector will really connect, you know, cause they both have daddy issues."

"APOLLO PLEASE SHUT UP" Perseus yelled as he rubbed his hand on his forehead

"Just throwing ideas out there" the sun god muttered

"I actually have a place that I think will keep me hidden" Hector said as he sat on the floor

"You do?" Artemis asked

"Yeah, I think I do. It's the same place which kept me hidden for two years after I fled camp" Hector replied nonchalantly

The immortals began to think about where that place could be until it all clicked. They looked at each other at same time, with their eyes full of shock.

"Hera..." Artemis muttered

Perseus face palmed, "of course! Why couldn't we have just asked my parents for help?"

"You never asked your parents for help?!" Hector asked from the ground

"It just never crossed my mind" Perseus tried to defend himself, "Ok, so we ask my mom for help hiding you. Then what?"

"But what are you going to do about Annabeth?" Hector asked much more worried about his friend than his safety.

The three gods turned towards the daughter of Athena, who put her hands up in surrender. She knew that the gods weren't going to kill her, but the power these three deities combined possessed was enough to make even the bravest of demigods want to cry. Sure, Apollo by himself was powerful, but he was also carefree. There was no data about the personality of Perseus, but it was implied that said god was extremely powerful. And then there was Artemis, who was not known as the most lenient or accepting goddess. When the three of them were together, there was no way of telling what actually might be the outcome of an encounter.

Annabeth felt as she was shrinking by the moment under the glare of the three gods. Behind them, Hector was smiling and giving her a thumbs up of support, trying to calm her down. These attempts were failed, as the daughter of Athena stood paralyzed on the spot.

"Daughter of Athena, was this attack a scheme coordinated alongside your mother?" Artemis asked

"What? No! She tried to help me!" Hector said from behind

"She can answer for herself"

Annabeth gulped, feeling as the blood drained from her head. As the glare of the goddess of the hunt intensified, the daughter of Athena felt more and more unable to give the true side of the story.

"Are you going to answer me or do I have to get it out of you?" Artemis said forcefully

Perseus stepped to the side of Artemis, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Artemis, relax. You know this girl is indebted to Hector. She wouldn't dare try to sabotage his safety just for a few moments of feeling important to her mother"

"I hate to break it to you, but that sounds very familiar to the personality of the child of Athena." Apollo said from behind

"I swear on the River Styx that I was trying to bring Hector to a safe space, and that my only goal was to help him survive his persecution" Annabeth swore confidently. Thunder rumbled on the sky, leaving the four other figures dumbstruck. Not only were they surprised by what Annabeth had said, but also because the demigoddess had sworn on the River Styx, one of the most sacred rivers in the Greek World.

"Do not use that type of oath in vain. There is a reason why it is not commonly used. For the future, there are always better alternatives, such as letting me be a lie detector" Apollo explained once he got out of his shock.

The blonde girl bowed her head and nodded, "I understand. Please forgive me"

"You are forgiven." Apollo grinned

"Hector, you asked what would happen to Annabeth right?" Artemis asked her son, who nodded with his head, "what do you think should be done?"

Hector thought about every probability, from the obviously insane killing her idea, to the possibility of letting her come to the secret hideout. In the end, there were only two possibilities that seemed to work: either he let her go with him to Hera's place, or she would have to return to Camp Half-Blood.

Letting her go with him would mean having the person he loved nearby, and living happily during his time of persecution. At the same time, not only would her life become endangered, but she would also lose the great reputation she had made on Camp Half-Blood. All her work and sacrifices would be overshadowed by this one decision to stay by his side. Her name would be forever tainted on the books of the Greek world.

On the other hand, giving her up for her to live on Camp Half-Blood would mean her safety. Her reputation would stay in light, her life would be safer than if she stayed with him, and she would not need to leave all her family behind just for him. Of course he would be miserable if he gave up the love of his life, but at least his conscience would be clean.

"Camp Half-Blood" Hector muttered

"What was that?" Perseus asked, not having heard what his son said

Hector stood up from his sitting position, "Annabeth should go to Camp Half-Blood" he said looking straight into the stormy grey eyes of the daughter of Athena

"What?! I told you I would stand by your side whatever it may be" Annabeth complained in outrage

"Don't be. Go to Camp Half-Blood and be with you siblings. I'll be safe in Hera's place"

Thunder rumbled and the twin gods looked at each other with worried faces. The goddess of the hunt turned towards her husband, "there's an emergency meeting on Olympus. Bring the daughter of Athena to Camp Half-Blood and then accompany Hector to Hera's place. And don't let it take too long, they'll probably check on this place really soon"

"Alright" Perseus nodded his head.

"Close your eyes" Apollo commanded the teens. When they complied, both gods flashed out of the New Jersey forest.

"Now let's bring you to Camp Half-Blood" Perseus said as he turned around to face Annabeth

"I'm not going. Hector needs my help" the grey-eyed demigod persisted

Hector stepped forward, "Annabeth, look at me"

"What"

"I don't want to part with you either, even less now that we have reunited after basically three years. But this is for your own good, you know that. If there is a possibility of keeping you safe, of course I'll take it"

Annabeth looked at her best friend, her eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to lose you"

Hector closed the distance between them and hugged her tightly. "Survive this war. That is the only thing I ask of you"

"Of course"

"Beware of the Aphrodite cabin. There is a spy for the Titan army situated there"

Annabeths eyes widened as she stepped back from the hug, "are you serious?"

"I'm not in the mood for jokes Annabeth, so this is all true. Be careful with the information you tell them"

The daughter of Athena nodded her head, "I'll miss you"

Hector hugged her one more time, this time less tightly than the previous one, with more care and soul. "Please forget me. It'll be easier to move on that way"

Annabeth shook her head, "no, it's not over. Our story cannot end before it even started"

"We had so many years together Annabeth. During all those years, our love grew and matured. Now, we must sacrifice it for the well-being of at least one of us"

"But-But it's not fair. At least let me have some more minutes with you"

Hector pushed away the hug and held Annabeth by the shoulders, "look around, do you see anything else moving?"

The daughter of Athena looked around, and noticed for the first time how there was no sound, no leaves falling, and no wind. Even Perseus, Hector's father, stood frozen.

"What-"

"Out time already passed. I gave us a few more moments together before we returned to our reality. As much as I want to stay in this time capsule, it cannot hold on for much longer, so this will quite literally be one of our last moments together. A moment that lasts forever"

Annabeth's tears could not hold on falling any longer, as a cascade fell down her cheeks.

Before she could reply, the time resumed all around them. The leaves began to fall again, the sound of squirrels running around the trees was heard, and the wind blowed in their faces.

"I'm sorry to say this, but time's over. And you can't make another time capsule so close to another, so don't even think about it" Perseus said coming close to the pair of teens.

"So, this is it. Remember what I told you" Hector had a very small smile on his face; a smile that told everyone that he was trying not to break down.

"Ok we seriously need to leave now or you're both going to die by a lightning bolt. So hop on" Perseus said, getting down and motioning Annabeth to be on his back.

"I don't want to go"' Annabeth said full-on crying

"Oh for gods sake. Look, I'm very sorry for this, but we have to go! You already said goodbye, so we're going to leave now" Perseus grabbed Annabeth, carrying her on one side. "I'll be back in two minutes"

The god of tides ran as quickly as he could, slowing down time in the process. Annabeth was not paying attention to this, instead she was completely overwhelmed by the fact that she had just lost Hector, possibly forever. After helping him, offering her own life for him, he simply _cared more about her safety_, such a selfless son of a-

"Ok we're here. And it only took us a minute and thirty five seconds." Perseus put the daughter of Athena on the ground.

As he was about to leave, he saw the blonde haired teen staring at nothing.

"I know how it feels," Perseus began to say with no sign of being heard from part of Annabeth, "like, being away from the one you love for a long time. I know how it feels. I can't tell you that it will work out, because even thought I'm the god of time, I cannot see the future clearly. Love was on my side, and I was very lucky for that. On your case, I'm honestly not sure. But know this," Perseus paused, "there's always a second chance at love"

The god of tides ran off after saying his last words to the daughter of Athena.

"I never got to say I love you" Annabeth silently said, beginning to cry and letting all her emotions flow.

Meanwhile, Perseus flashed to the place where his son was at. The New Jersey woods, not so far away from Jersey Shore, but two completely different worlds. As he arrived, the god of childhood noticed his son crying in agony, grabbing his left part of the shirt in pain.

"Hey...don't worry. You're only fifteen, there'll be other girls for you" Perseus tried to comfort his son, patting him awkwardly on the back

"No there won't be. She was the only one for me. I love her dad" Hector cried

Perseus looked down at his son with pity and guilt. While it was not completely his fault, the god could not help but feel as if he had caused the separation between the two teens.

"Come on, you didn't make that sacrifice just to die in New Jersey. We gotta move now" Perseus picked Hector up

Wiping his tears from his eyes and sniffling loudly, the teenager nodded his head, "you're right. There is no way I did that just to die in New Jersey. I mean, it wouldn't be as bad as dying in Florida, but it's not ideal either"

"Don't badmouth Florida, after all, your old man used to live there"

"And did you like it?"

Perseus didn't answer, instead he just started to walk, "let's just go to my moms place. Where is it?"

"Who are the enemies of the Yankees?"

Perseus eyes widened, "We're going to Boston?! Where they make clam chowder?"

"Positive. Well, not quite Boston, just a town nearby. Now let's go, I did not make that sacrifice in vain" Hector picked up the pace, leaving his father behind.

Meanwhile on Olympus, the tension grew between the two sectors of Olympians. On one hand there were the gods who believed that Artemis and Perseus should've been greatly punished and that their child, a result of 'treachery' deserved to be destroyed. On the other side were the less radical Olympians, who believed that there was no reason for such an extreme punishment and that the child of Perseus and Artemis did not deserve to die.

Zeus glared at his daughter with every inch of fury and disappointment in the look. Nevertheless, the goddess of the hunt seemed unfazed by such a look. She just glared right back at the King of Gods, daring him to make a move.

Hermes was the last god to flash at the meeting, arriving around a minute after the twin gods.

"Now that we are all here, I call this emergency council meeting to order" Zeus declared as thunder rumbled. The Olympians all looked at each other, confused as to why there had been an emergency council meeting in April, one of the months when nothing happens. "Athena, you have the floor"

Athena stood up, glaring at Apollo and then sideways to Artemis, "Olympians, I have come here to tell you all that two of our own have betrayed us"

The Olympians gasped at the severity of the situation. This was not a normal accusation, and much less with an ongoing war against the titans.

"Silence" The King of Gods ordered

"Lord Zeus, this is a very serious accusation. What proof does Athena have of this?" Poseidon asked

Athena smirked and looked directly at the sun god, "Just ask Apollo what he was doing ten minutes ago"

All gods looked at the aforementioned god, who seemed ready to kill his half-sister.

"Well, Apollo, what were you doing ten minutes ago?" Zeus asked with a slight edge

Apollo looked around the room for support, but only found it on the eyes of his sister. He was panicked, there was no way he could lie his way out of this, after all, he was a terrible liar. Well, overstatement, Apollo couldn't lie even if it meant saving his life.

"I-i d-don't know about t-ten minutes ago, but f-fifteen minutes ago I was d-driving the sun chariot"

"You were not asked about fifteen minutes ago, you were asked about ten minutes ago" Athena intervened

"Father, this is ridiculous. There are more important things to worry about, like the titan uprising" Artemis tried to save her brother

Zeus glared at Artemis, "Be quiet and let Apollo answer"

Apollo once again felt all the eyes of the throne room looking directly at him. He knew what he was doing ten minutes ago; he was saving his nephew Hector, which would mean conspiring against Olympus. Even if it didn't make sense, Hector was deemed a sign of "treachery" by his father Zeus, and saving him from Olympian capture was sure enough a sign of betraying Olympus.

At that moment, Apollo remembered what he had told Artemis long before. '_If anyone asks where you've been, always answer with a half truth. That's the most effective of lies because you aren't actually lying_'. Now, Apollo only had to come up with any half truth that also served as an attack to Athena.

"I was with Artemis in a forest"

Athena smirked thinking that she had trapped the sun god, "and what were you doing in a forest when you were supposed to be driving you sun chariot?"

"Saving your daughter from the troopers. Artemis sensed that they were in a mission but there were no monsters nearby. She called me as backup and we saw the troopers assaulting you daughter, launching arrows to the general area where she was at. She isn't a Titan spy either. I know that because she was on a mission from Camp Half-Blood not a week ago" it was Apollo's time to smirk.

The King of Gods looked over at Artemis, "is this true?"

The moon goddess nodded, "Yes. We all know Apollo cannot lie, meaning that all his words are the truth"

"Wait, if I may, I propose we put a vision for all the council to see" the goddess of wisdom declared

"What would this vision be of?" Zeus asked

"Let us see my daughter. If what the Letoids are saying is true, then they should have no problem with us seeing my daughter and check if she is with someone right now. You have my parental consent"

"That sounds creepy. What if she's with a special someone doing a special thing?" Aphrodite asked appalled

"Yeah, let the kid have some privacy and end this meeting" Hermes groaned

"No way! I am not going back to that blasted camp so quickly" Dionysus yelled in outrage

The Olympians each began to fight over whether or not they should see the daughter of Athena. Some argued that they should see her and check if the gods were indeed telling the truth, while other simply said that it was not necessary. Zeus, after looking at the commotion caused, made the sky rumble which effectively shut up the gods ruckus.

"We are going to watch Athena's daughter, and if she's with anyone that can either pose as a threat to us or is not trusted, then we will believe Athena. However, if she is not with anyone, or is with someone trusted, then this council meeting will be dismissed." Zeus proclaimed, earning the scared nods of many of the gods and goddesses. "Poseidon, conjure water to make a rainbow"

The god of the seas did as he was ordered, conjuring some water and making a rainbow with the light that shone inside the throne room. It was a majestic rainbow, made so big so that all Olympians could see the image.

"Iris, show us Annabeth Chase, whereabouts unknown" Athena ordered the rainbow goddess.

The Iris message featured the image of a blonde teenager crying her heart out.

"Why is she crying?" Athena asked with concern

"I have no idea" the twins said unison

The gods sat awkwardly looking at the demigod cry her heart out for reasons unknown to them. Finally, after much silence, Athena swiped her hand on the Iris message, effectively cutting the connection.

Zeus cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of every being in the throne room. "If any of you notice any unusual activity, report it to me immediately. Council Dismissed"

One by one, the gods flashed away to their respective jobs or activities. After some time, only two goddesses stayed in the throne room, the goddess of love and the goddess of the hunt.

Aphrodite walked towards Artemis in her human height. The moon goddess, as to not appear disrespectful, shrunk to a human size and walked towards Aphrodite.

"What is it?" Artemis asked, knowing full well that the goddess of love never talked to her unless she wanted to bug.

"She's crying because of your son" Aphrodite said

Artemis furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you mean"

"The daughter of Athena, she's crying because of your son. He broke her heart"

Artemis shook her head, "No, that can't be true. My son is not a heartbreaker"

"He may not have gotten it from you, but Perseus is a heartbreaker in steroids. I do not know the reason why he broke her heart, but it will be very hard for her to love that much again" after saying that, the goddess of love flashed away, leaving the goddess of the hunt both confused and angry. Confused as to why her son had broken a maiden's heart, and angry because her son seemed to have turned out like the males she despised.

**Another chapter done! Not much to say I think, but I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I actually liked writting this particular chapter, no reason why. I saw someone commented that his name was Hector, and I just want to say that's so awesome. Like, I actually named the character like my cousin and grandfather, but of course they would never read this story. But knowing that someone reading this can actually feel identified (literally) is so awesome. **

**Another comment said that this was his or her favorite story, and honestly, 3. Like wowwwwww, I never believed my story could become such a hit. Considering how bad my other ones are, this is really great news. **

**If any of you want to tell me something, my DM's are always open, and if you're reading without an account, review. I'll always read them, always always. **

**Hope you're all safe from the corona, and as long as quarantine keeps going on, then there will be many updates. **

**Finally, RIP Class 2020 who will not have a graduation or prom. Everybody can say we're spoiled, but the people saying that will get their graduations and proms. So let us cry in peace. **

**Thanks for reading! Gracias por leer este libro tan bipolar!**

**-MCD**


	31. The gain of a grandson

Many gods can sense when someone has intruded their property. If there was a sight in which they resigned over, the moment someone stepped on it, they would be notified. It was kind of an alert system, but imbedded naturally in the Olympian beings.

The Queen of Olympus, to no surprise, wasn't an exception to this power. As soon as she felt one of her properties being intruded, Hera stopped stalking Zeus new love interest and flashed over to her Massachusetts house. Upon entering, the goddess of marriage noticed two beings with godly power standing in the entrance, debating.

"Move, we have to enter if you want to be safe" The older one told his young counterpart.

The young teenage one shook his head, "We must respect the gods properties. It is forbidden to enter without proper authorization"

"Carib, if we don't enter, the King of Gods will be able to see us and strike us. I know you don't want to offend anybody, but this is a matter of life and death" the older one tried to enter, but Carib just put his arm up, stopping the god from being able to enter.

"If we enter without permission, we might as well be dead" Carib said in a very serious tone

"Oh for gods sake..." the god said, but stopped as soon as he saw who was in front of him. When his eyes came in contact with the goddess of marriage, The god straightened himself and nodded to the goddess. Hector, on the other hand, got down on one knee, bowing his head and showing his respect towards the goddess in front of him.

"I see some of you have not forgotten your manners. How have you been Argos?" Hera asked with a kind smile

"I have been well, all due to your gracefulness as my lady and teacher during my development. I am deeply and eternally grateful, indebted to you for all eternity"

"You have come here seeking asylum, have you not?"

Héctor nodded his head slowly, "yes Milady. I truly apologize for coming here only in times of need, but these are desperate times. As you surely must know, my life is being threatened by your husband"

Hera pursued her lips, "yes, I know of your persecution. Very well, you may stay here as long as you need. Go to your room, it's in the same place of course. Also, I have changed your clothes, so you'll fit on the ones inside the closet. f you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask"

Hector bowed his head, "thank you Milady for your gratefulness. I will never forget how much you have helped me"

"Do not worry about it, go upstairs with your stuff. You may continue with your training soon, but for now let me speak in private with your father" Hera said staring right into the eyes of Perseus

Hector nodded, getting up from his kneeling position and walking up the stairs towards the second floor. The two gods saw how the teenager walked up the stairs with his back bent in tiredness.

The Queen of Olympus shifted her eyes to the god standing in front of her. This was the second time she had seen him as an adult, and needless to say, their encounters were not very familiar. It was ironic in a way, the goddess of family did not have the family she reigned over.

"Please take care of him" Perseus said without even looking at his mother. After the silhouette of Hector had vanished, the god of tides turned his eyes towards the goddess that stood in front of him. "I'll be taking my leave then"

"Wait" Hera said as the god of tides turned around. "At least drink something before you go"

The voice on the Queen of Olympus sounded so desperate that Perseus could not believe that she was actually a goddess. It sounded so artificial, so unnatural coming out of her.

Perseus looked at his mother intensely, calculating and analyzing every inch of her body language. Her eyes showed plead while her say of standing showed that she was demanding something. He knew that she really wanted him to stay for a while, but in all seriousness, he could not find motivation to do that.

"I really should get going" Perseus turned around to exit once again. As he was passing through the door frame, he felt his wrist being grabbed. Turning around, the god of tides noticed how his mother had grabbed his wrist in an effort to stop him from getting away. "Let me go"

"Please stay for a drink" Hera said in a low voice

Perseus stood unmoving, frozen from the sudden physical contact he had made with his mother. The only previous contact he had made with her had been an awkward hug a year ago, in the council meeting where his punishment had been decreed. But still, it felt very weird being in contact with his mother, and much more because she was pleading him.

The god of tides sighed, "fine, I'll stay for a drink. But after that, I have to go"

Hera grinned and nodded, dragging Perseus with her towards the kitchen. The kitchen was fairly big, with enough space to make every possible dish, and a counter with high chairs.

"Sit there" The Queen of Olympus pointed towards a high chair. Perseus sat there, watching his mother make some type of drink.

"Why did Carib talk to you in such a formality? He's your grandson" Perseus asked his mother

"I have tried to make him to stop talking that way, but it's impossible. He knows to respect gods and goddesses, it's a good trait." The goddess said as she put some water into a machine

Perseus nodded, "Yeah, I remember when we encounter Mrs. Cornflakes in Nebraska"

"You should learn from him. After all, the only reason why he's still alive is mostly because of the respect he has shown different gods. That reputation has spread through Olympus like a virus, and effectively made countless gods root for him"

"Why did you call him Argos?" Perseus asked, changing the subject

"His name reminds me of painful things. Hector and Troy are obviously Trojan things, which as you may know, I was against them on that war. And then Carib reminds me of someone close to me that I lost" Hera said as she quickly rinsed two ceramic cups.

Perseus raised an eyebrow, "so just because you didn't like his name, you decided to change it?"

"I am just simply calling him you another name. I hope there's nothing wrong with that"

Perseus scoffed, "no, nothing wrong" he muttered.

Hera served the drink on a cup, putting it in front of Perseus. "Careful, it's hot" she warned

The god of tides sat staring silently at the cup in front of him. The strong smell, the light brown color, the flower design on top, it was evident what the drink was.

"Did you ever think of me while I was in the island?" Perseus asked

Hera took a sip of her cup, looking directly at her son. "Of course, you were all I could think about for years"

"Hm, and after you figured out I had escaped from that blasted island prison, did you ever attempt to find me?"

The Queen of Olympus thought for a moment before saying her answer, "I knew you had escaped after I saw Argos. From the first time I saw him, I knew that he was you child."

"You still haven't answered my question. After you found out that I had escaped, did you attempt to find me? Or did you just forget about me?"

"I didn't search for you after I found Argos"

Perseus inhaled deeply, "why not?"

"Looking for you would be searching for a happiness I couldn't achieve in my past. That moment is gone now, and I can't just believe that I will get another chance"

"So I'm just an object to you? I'm just something that symbolized the love you had for my father, but once you guys had to marry other people, I was useless?"

"No! Not at all!" Hera defended herself

"But my existence was a constant reminder of you two. You opted to forget about me so that your lust would not grow, is that it? If I wasn't found, then your feelings for Poseidon could've been buried deep inside, in a prison. But guess what, I broke out of that prison and so did those feelings, am I wrong? Me being here is a constant reminder that you're not with my dad. But that hurt too much right? And so you opted to abandon me for a second time just so you wouldn't pass through any emotional difficulties" Perseus said angrily, his voice getting louder with each sentence

"Perseus, I love you. You're my baby" Hera began to tear up

"I'm the baby you dreaded. The baby that reminded you of what you couldn't be. That's the reason why you never searched for me. That's the reason why you forgot about me. I bet you don't even know the first thing about me"

"Perseus-"

"Everyone knows that I hate coffee. I despise it. But my own mother doesn't know that, now what does that tell you?" Perseus said in a low voice, grabbing the cup of coffee that sat in front of him. His teary eyes met Hera's ones, a combination of sadness and fury buried in them.

"Thanks for the invitation, but I have to go. Take care of Carib for me, and unlike you, I'll be checking up on him from now on"

Perseus stood up and exited the house, leaving the Queen of Olympus broken hearted. She did not understand why he was suddenly so mad at her. It did not make sense, just a year ago he had hugged her in an awkward fashion, but with no anger.

Something had changed in Perseus mind. What it was was unknown, but it still existed.

"Why are you sad Milady?" A voice said from the entrance of the kitchen. Lifting her face, the Queen of Olympus saw her grandson with worried eyes.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it Argos. Go on and train" Hera waived it off

"I apologize Milady, but I cannot train while you are in this situation. May you tell me what has happened?"

"Just got reminded of something I didn't do"

Hector furrowed his eyebrows, "was it something my father said?"

The Queen of Olympus opened the fridge, taking out a Chocolate Nesquik. She handed it to her grandson, "yes, it was something he said"

"What did he tell you?" The teenager asked opening his favorite drink

"I abandoned him. After I knew he had escaped his island, I never went to find him. He reminded me of his father, and how good my life had been back then. I just couldn't bear it"

Hector took a sip from his chocolate milk looking at the floor. "Forgive me for my rudeness, but I do not think that's true"

"What?"

"I think that he looked at the way you had taken care of me and simply realized what he didn't do. You took me in when I had nobody, and treated me as more like family than my parents ever had. Both he and I were given away when we were infants, although for different reasons, and as we grew up we lacked a parental figure in our lives.

"My mom had been looking over for me since I was very young, but my father had never looked after me. I don't know the reason for that, but that's the way it happened. Seeing you with me made him jealous I think, and he spewed all that anger towards you even if you didn't deserve it."

After the son of Perseus said that, Hera stayed frozen in her place. Slowly, the Queen of Olympus walked towards Hector. As she stood in front of him, the goddess of family embraced the teen with care. A soft hug, but a hug that made her presence known to the young boy.

Hector was paralyzed. Here was the Queen of Olympus hugging him, and he did not know what to do. Was he supposed to hug her back, or was this a trial that his patron was making?

"Milady-"

"I've told you countless times to stop calling me that. You know I'm your grandmother, and I would like to treat you as one" Hera told him, keeping him close to her

"Milady, you know I can't do that. You're my patron, the goddess I serve. It would be very unprofessional of me to become so close to you"

"Hector" the goddess said taking a pause. "Let me be your grandmother"

"Why have you called me Hector? You've always called me Argos"

Hera chuckled, "After so much time, there are things we must let go. In order for you to become closer to you, I must get rid of every barrier between us, starting with your name. From now on, you're going to be Hector Carib Troy, inside this household and out."

Slowly, the son of Artemis brought his arms up and enveloped his grandmother in a hug. Hera smiled as she felt his arms around her, as it was a sign that her grandson had finally accepted the idea of being closer to her in a way. Even if it wasn't much, this was the first step towards being a family, the family she had always wanted.

"Thank you for everything...grandmother" Hector muttered

Hera smiled and squeezed Hector tighter, not wanting to let this moment go.

While the Goddess of Marriage and the Son of Artemis we're starting their relationship anew, the God of Tides was sitting in his living room in one of his South Carolina houses. After his encounter with Hera, Perseus had flashed to his house in an attempt to relax. He knew his outburst in Hera's place was uncalled for, but he couldn't shake his anger off. For some reason, watching his son act so...formal in towards his absent mother turned on some triggers.

He was watching South Park on his television. The episode was unimportant, it was just there for background noise. In reality, Perseus felt like complete crap that day. Sure, he had saved his son from death, but at the same time, he had hurt him much more than he thought he could.

A father should never separate a son from his beloved, at least when his beloved is not someone who could potentially bring harm to him. No matter how he looked at the situation, the daughter of Athena was not a bad influence on his son. In fact, she seemed to make him more bearable.

While Perseus was immersed on his thoughts, the front door of the house opened. The goddess of the moon stepped inside the house, looking around angrily.

"Percy, where the fuck are you" Artemis asked loudly

Perseus, in no mood to reply, simply threw his tv control hard on the floor, making a loud sound as it broke to pieces. His wife entered the living room quickly, worried that something might've happened.

"What was that?"

"I threw the control" Perseus shrugged

Artemis bent down to pick up the pieces, "why the Hades would you do that?!"

"Didn't want to answer your question. But hey, you found me, so it was worth it"

"You broke it! Now we can't change the channel!"

Perseus grinned, "I'll fix it later, it's not a big problem"

Artemis our the pieces of the broken control on the center table, glaring at her husband, "Ok Percy, tell me what's wrong with you. I came here angry myself but at least I can control my feelings and not break everything like a little kid"

"It's not my fault that I did that. I'm the the god of Childhood, so it's normal that I break stuff out of anger"

Artemis slapped her husbands cheek, "Grow up! You have a fucking child and you're acting more childish than him! Just because your domain is childhood does not mean you can behave like a brat"

"Why not?! When I was growing up I could not be a brat, and where did that leave me? I grew up without parents and without love. Maybe if I can't acting this way, my parents will realize that I need them" Perseus declared

"Stop acting like you had the worst childhood in the world!" Artemis yelled, "I'm tired of you whining about your childhood. When I met you, you were this funny guy who showed me how to love regardless of his past. Being an imprisoned jerk was not your only personality trait. What changed with you?"

Perseus looked at Artemis eyes, "I got out"

"Huh?"

"Back then, I spent all my days with you. Even when you were gone, time passed so slowly that I barely noticed you weren't there. But now, every time you were with your hunters, I was left alone again, but this time I noticed it. I felt useless Artemis. I couldn't reveal myself as your husband because it might hurt you, and it the end it did!"

Artemis scoffed, "As if you're the only one that felt alone. Percy, I also felt how we didn't spend as much time together, but I never became a brat"

"True, but you're had your father by your side of you ever needed anything. I had neither mother nor father" Percy replied

"Stop playing the victim card Percy. The fact is that you're way too old to behave this way"

"That's easy for you to say, you have always been the spoiled daddy's girl"

"How dare you" Artemis eyes watered, "I lost my hunt, my son, my father, my properties, and even my mother during my life. Everything I had is now gone. Yet I never behaved that way. I can't believe I even gave you a second chance"

"...what do you mean by your mother?"

"Before I even knew you, my mother was banished to another land, and so I can never see her again. But do you see me crying all day about it? No! I moved on because I realized that there was nothing I could do and that it was in the past. You should learn to do the same" Artemis said with finality

"Why hadn't you told me about your mother?"

"It's not something I go on telling. It hurts me just thinking about it, so evading it is just the same as forgetting it."

Perseus strongly hugged his wife, pushing her as close as he could. "I'll behave Arty. I'm sorry for acting this way"

"Your apologies are becoming empty words Percy. Stop saying things and start acting. Start acting as a father of your child, start acting as a husband. This is a new phase in your life, live as it is supposed to be lived as"

Perseus nodded, his head rubbing by Artemis' ears.

"I swear on the Styx that I will behave appropriately from now on"

Artemis pushed him off and locked eyes with her husband, noticing the regret in them. Inching forward, the goddess of the hunt kissed her husband softly on his lips.

"You better keep that promise. I was getting tired of your behavior"

Perseus smiled, "won't happen again Arty. The Percy you fell in love with will return. This time with a little more maturity added to it"

"That's all I ask" Artemis put her head on Percy's shoulder. "By the way, do you know why the daughter of Athena was crying today? Aphrodite told me it was because Hector broke her heart. Is it true?"

"Aphrodite is never wrong about those things" Perseus replied

Artemis scoffed, "so after millennia of hating men like that, the fates decide to grant me with a son that it just like that?"

Percy shook his head, "it's not like you think it was. They both loved each other, but Hector decided to let her go for her safety. It was heartbreaking watching them, but it was the best for them both"

The goddess of the moon looked at her husband, "so he didn't break her heart with no reason?"

"Of course not. He's your son Artemis, did you really think that someone who was once a part of you would be able to do that?"

"You're right, I never should've doubted him"

"We all make mistakes. The important thing is that we learn from them, and that we grow from them"

Artemis smirked, "you sound very intellectual for someone who broke a controller not ten minutes ago"

"My soul became wiser with time"

The goddess of the hunt hit Perseus on his arm, "shut up" she laughed

"What? It's true!" Percy also laughed.

"Fine, whatever"

Percy looked at his wife, still amazed by her beauty. For some reason, being with her like this made him remember the first few times they had spent together. It was just the two of them in front of the TV.

"Arty"

"Hmm?"

"What really happened to your mom?" Perseus asked curiously

Artemis sighed, "As you know, my brother and I were the result of an affair. My mother didn't know that though, so don't think badly about her. Anyways, my father's wife was very jealous of her, and so one day, after Apollo and I had moved out and into Olympus, she sent some monsters to kill my mom." The goddess of the hunt paused

"If you didn't know, peaceful titans take longer to reform than non-peaceful titans. So, it took my mom like two millennia to reform, and after she reformed, she was imprisoned without a cause. That's what happened, and all because of her"

Perseus sat stiff, looking at the television. "You're saying..."

"Your mom is the reason why I lost mine"

**Thank you for reading! Leave a review if you enjoyed it or think I should change something. This story will be ending very soon, so I won't be dragging this for too long. **

**Thanks for everyone who has reviewed. Grazie Mille**

**-MCD**


	32. Pirate sword

Four and a half months had passed since the son of Artemis finally reunited with his parents and grandmother, and those four months had been spent entirely on training. There had been no time for happy relaxing times between the newfound family. It was no secret that the Titan Army had been growing in both strength and size, meaning that a bloody war was inevitable. Having this in mind, Hector trained as hard as he could, wanting to help his demigod friends. The son of Artemis and his patron knew that the big battle in New York was going to happen no mater how much they tried to stop it.

While demigods at Camp Half-Blood battled against the monsters that came out of the labyrinth, the son of Perseus kept on training. While demigods were blowing up the Princess Andromeda, Hector was studying, trying to find a way to get rid of Kronos once and for all.

Apollo and Artemis knew that they couldn't keep the secret of the prophecy much longer. The truth would come out soon, as the prophecy would be completed in the following month. August 7th, the birthday of Hector would be when the prophecy would be completed. If only he had been born a day later, then they could've just passed the prophecy as referring to the Son of Poseidon. But there was no way now, the secret would be out, and everyone would know what the prophecy really said.

The Letoids talked it over for a while, reaching to the conclusion that they should tell Hector of his fate. It was only fair that he knew of his end.

The twins knocked on the door of Hera's house in Massachusetts. Around twenty seconds passed without and answer, making the Goddess of the moon grow in desperation. Artemis knocked the door again, hearing some noice coming from the inside and reaching to the conclusion that whoever was inside would be quick to open the door.

"Who is it and what do you want?" A boy asked from inside

"We're Artemis and Apollo, and we came here to talk to Hector" The moon goddess replied.

Shuffling was heard from outside the house, and soon enough the door was open. Grabbing the door was Hector, who had grown around four inches in those four months. His smile still held a slight mirth, which was very unusual to see in the past few months in the face of any member of the Greek Pantheon.

"Why are you here mom?" Hector asked. Apollo looked sternly at his nephew, "...and Uncle Apollo"

"We need to talk about something extremely important, but nobody aside from us three can know about it, alright?" Artemis said hurriedly

Hector looked back to the inside of the house, "Grandma is here and I can't leave without her permission."

"Then let us speak with her. This conversation cannot be delayed any longer" Artemis said, stepping forward and into the house. Apollo followed his sister, leaving Hector to close the door and run after them.

"Wait! She's taking a nap" Hector tried to stop his mother and uncle from disturbing his patron's sleep.

Artemis looked into Hector's eyes, "Then we're going to wake her up"

"What? No!" the son of Artemis said loudly as Artemis continued her way into the master bedroom.

Apollo put a hand on Hector's shoulder "Dude, this is really important. Let your mom do what she needs to do"

The two males entered the master room, watching as Artemis approached the sleeping Queen of Olympus.

"Hera" Artemis shook the goddess, earning a groan in return. "Heraaa"

The Queen of Olympus didn't move. Instead, the goddess of marriage began to snore loudly, making the god of the sun chuckle from behind his sister.

"You wanna laugh? Fine, you wake her up"

Apollo smirked, "I don't think my methods would be considered PG-13" he said looking at Hector

"I'm fifteen"

"That may be true, but under my sister's eyes, you are still a little fetus. So, sorry to disappoint Artemis, but I can't help you wake her up" Apollo shrugged his shoulders

The moon goddess glared at her twin, but when she saw that her glare held no effect on him, Artemis continued her attempts to wake the Queen of Gods. The pushed her, pulled her hair, poured water over her (which made her smile, much to everyones displeasure), and even hit her.

"Fuck, we really need to hurry up." Artemis muttered, "How do you usually wake up Hector?"

"Huh? Why are you asking me?"

"Because along with Hermes, Apollo and I are the gods who get the least amount of sleep, so strategies to wake someone up aren't things we have a lot of knowledge on"

"Which is ironic since I'm the god of knowledge" Apollo grinned

"Your whole life is ironic" Artemis told, "ok, so Hector, how do you normally wake up?"

"I don't know...I'm a light sleeper" Hector replied

Suddenly, Apollo clapped his hands together, "I got it! It was so obvious and cliche, how could I not see it before?"

"See what?" Artemis asked her twin

"You'll see" was the only thing that Apollo said before conjuring an iPod. The god of music browsed his device for a while, until he grinned and put the iPod besides Hera's resting head.

As soon as Apollo pressed the play button, the song Never Gonna Give you Up by Rick Ashley began to play at full volume. The Queen of Olympus, as in act of magic, quickly opened her eyes and threw the iPod across the room.

"Who did that?" The goddess of marriage asked in a growl. Apollo paled and brought his arms up asserting his innocence.

"Hey...Artemis wanted to ask you something very important so I'll be waiting in the living room" The sun god said in fear, flashing out in an instant and living the queen of Olympus, the moon goddess and her son alone in the master bedroom.

"Artemis, why did you have to interrupt my sleep?" Hera asked her daughter-in-law

Artemis cleared her throat, "My brother and I need to tell Hector something with utmost urgency."

"And why did you have to wake me up for that?"

"We need to go to one of Apollo's places, so that way nobody will hear us. It is very confidencial information"

Hera nodded, sitting up on her bed, "Is there any reason why I can't know about this secret?"

Artemis tilted her head, "It is just an extremely touchy subject that only Hector, my brother and I should be aware of. That being said, will you let Hector come with us?"

Hera looked directly at Artemis silver eyes, trying to see any trace of an idea of what she would tell Hector. As much as she tried, the goddess of marriage could not find anything on the eyes of, Artemis, and so she nodded in disappointment.

"Great. Let's go Hector" Artemis grabbed Hectors wrist, pulling him with her as she left the room. "Apollo come on, we're leaving"

"Finally! Wait till you see my house Hector, you are going to explode from awesomeness. I tell you, where we're going is legend-wait for it-" Apollo grabbed his sister's and nephew's hand, flashing with them to another location.

The trio appeared inside of a beach house, a very big one at that. There were paintings that looked like they cost a fortune hanging on the wall, with a white marble floor and sculptures all around the place. The swimming pool was fairly big, but it's biggest perk was that it looked right to the ocean, as if it were part of it.

"-dary! Legendary!" Apollo finished his idea

Artemis rolled her eyes at her brother, "let's do what we came here to do and then you can behave like Barney Stinson"

Apollo sighed, "alright, but only 'cause I know that it's important"

Hector looked around the house, fascinated by its beauty and class. "What is this place?" He asked with curiosity

"This is my beach house! Located in an island 18 North and 66º West, the perfect place because we're not technically on the United States, but we still reign over it." Apollo said smiling

Hector raised an eyebrow, "How is that possible?"

"You see, long ago there lived these people called the Tainos. They lived peacefully on this island, until the white spaniards came and killed them all. Well, not all of them, they raped a few women and other fled to the mountains. Anyways, then came the africans to do manual labor as slaves. From 1500's to 1815, the population of africans here began to grow, being the majority. The kingdom of Spain, being afraid that a black revolution would happen just like it did in neighboring Haiti, created the Royal Decree of Graces, which made so any Catholic and white European could come to the island and receive a bunch of benefits. Then-"

"Apollo we didn't come here for a history lesson" Artemis interrupted

"Right. Long story short, there was a war between Spain and United States, United States won and got Cuba, the Philippines, Guam and this island. The people from this island became citizens of the US in 1917 just so they could could fight in WWI and the following wars. Then Philippines got independence, but because of some weird reason, this island did not. After that, in the 50's when the United Nations was doing the de-colonizing thing, this nation was mysteriously taken off the list of colonies a week earlier. And to this day, this place is one of the last colonies in the world, and the largest one, with a population greater than some US states. Oh! That's another thing! The population of this island-"

"Apollo! Focus on the prophecy for gods sake!" Artemis yelled, tired of her brother's randomly showing off his knowledge

"Right! Hector, sit down." Apollo pointed at a couch. The teen walked slowly and sat down on the furniture. The moon goddess followed and sat besides her son while the sun god stood infant of his nephew.

"What's going on? What's this prophecy you're talking about?" Hector asked looking at his mother

Artemis sighed, "Hector, do you know about the Great Prophecy?"

"I know what it is, not what it says. Chiron always told me it wasn't my place to know about it" the teenager replied

"Considering he doesn't know the truth, I suppose he did the best he could" Apollo told

"What truth? Is there something you aren't telling me?" Hector asked scared

"Hector," Artemis put her arm around her son, "the prophecy that Apollo told the Olympians isn't the correct one"

"How is that possible? I thought Apollo couldn't lie"

Apollo raised his hand, "Technically, I didn't lie. I just hid some key words which resulted in the prophecy being taken the wrong way"

"Well, what did you say?"

"The prophecy I told the Olympians was:

A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze" Apollo said dramatically

"That means that Alex is the child of the prophecy" Hector muttered

"Yes, that's what it means." Artemis agreed

"The thing is, like we said, that's not the true prophecy" Apollo added

Hector made eye contact with his uncle, "What's the real prophecy?"

"It's basically the same thing, except for the first verse. It says..."

"A child of the eldest full-blooded god" Artemis finished the sentence, looking with pity at her son

Hector looked right back at his mother, "What does that have to do with me?"

"Hector...Perseus is the eldest full-blooded god"

The boy's jaw dropped as the words of his mother settled on his mind. After all those year he thought that he was just an irrelevant camper, it turns out that he is the child of the prophecy. He was supposed to save Olympus, or maybe even destroy it. With a single choice, his family and friends could die. But the part that shocked him the most was when it said that he could perish.

"I'm going to die?" Was the first thing that came out of Hector's mouth.

Artemis hugged her son with both arms, making him bury his head on her neck. "You're not going to die. You're my son and Perseus', so you're not a mortal"

"But I'm not a god. I bleed red blood, I grow at a normal rate, and am no different from other demigods. I'm a mortal mom" Hector began to cry.

No matter how hard she tried, Artemis eyes also began to tear up. The possibility of losing her son was very high, and as much as she wanted to avoid it, there were only a few days left until the prophecy was fulfilled. She had not spent all the time she could with her son. The total moments they had spent alone as mother and son be counted with the fingers in one hand, and it was something she could not change.

Artemis had noticed how her son lacked the traits of normal gods, but having nobody to ask, she just forgot about it. Was it possible that her son was a mortal? It did not make sense. After all, both of his parents were gods, yet he did not emit the strong aura of a god.

"Don't worry nephew, prophecies often have double meanings" Apollo tried to comfort his nephew without fully trusting his words. Something deep inside of him told him that this might actually be the end of Hector, and for good or for worse, it would also be the end of this version of Artemis.

The trio stayed quiet in the house a little longer, letting the news sink and the emotions settle. After five minutes of hugging his mother, Hector released himself from the hug and sniffled.

"I'm going to save Olympus right? Hector Carib Troy, son of Artemis and Perseus, defeater of Kronos, fugitive and savior of Olympus...it has a nice ring to it" Hector joked trying to lighten up the mood.

"It sure does" Apollo ruffled his nephews hair

"Why couldn't you guys tell the real prophecy to the Olympians?" Hector asked

Artemis wiped her wet eyes, "you saw how badly the Lord of the sky reacted to your existence. Imagine if he knew you could possibly destroy Olympus"

Hector nodded as he understood what his mother had said. His grandfather was very paranoid, and even the slightest possibility of Olympus going to crumble would result in him doing everything in his power to stop it.

"This prophecy will come true on-" Artemis began to say before stiffening. Apollo did the same, as they both looked at each other with worried looks.

"Come true on..."

"Sorry Hector, but we have to go right now" Apollo said

"Huh?! Where will I go then?!"

"You can stay here, there's everything you''ll ever need. Plus, I have a library where you can find out how to defeat your great-grandfather. So study hard, and we'll be back in a couple of days" Apollo said before flashing

Artemis hugged her son one last time, "I love you my son. Stay safe"

The goddess of the moon flashed out of the house, leaving Hector all alone in a strange house.

"So the secret to defeating Kronos lies in his library...eh, I'll check it out later" Hector said as he walked around the house.

The term 'house' was an understatement for this absolute mansion. It was just like a museum, except it had everything else that the museum lacks, including a mini movie theater.

After walking all around the house, Hector decided to take a walk outside and maybe finally guess where the Hades he was. Even after Apollo made a huge thesis about the history of this place, the son of Artemis still had no clue what the island was. Although the Public education system of the United States was bad, at least it was better than not receiving a formal education at all.

To his luck, the keys for Apollo's beach house were hanging on the wall right next to the front door. Taking the keys, Hector opened the door and stepped outside.

The first thing he felt was extreme heat and humidity. His pores seemed to have opened up at 500% their normal capacity as the teen began to sweat tremendously, even in places he did not know a human could sweat through. Feeling a long drop of sweat fall from his head, leaving a trail in his face, Hector entered the house again.

"Okay, I can't go out in a hoodie or I'll die before I can save anyone" the teen muttered to himself. He looked at himself, how his hoodie and long pants weren't suited for this environment. "Maybe there's some clothes on the bedroom closet"

Hector walked to master bedroom, not paying attention to anything except the closet.

"Thank gods I'm the same size as my uncle" the son of Artemis muttered as he saw some short pants and a Hurley T-shirt. He changed his clothes, and once feeling mentally prepared to face the heat of the tropical August, went outside to take a walk.

The longer he walked, the more Hector realized that this wasn't an island made for walking. Besides the extreme heat and humidity, there weren't many good sidewalks. There were no people walking besides him, only cars that passed at fifty miles an hour.

"Who in their right mind would live here?"

"Pssst, hey you!" a voice said from above

Hector looked up and saw a swan flying. "What the Hades?"

"I'm not Hades, I'm not even a guy" the swan said landing besides the teenager.

"What are you?"

"I'm a swan, and mind your manners"

"Sorry, what are you doing here Mrs. Swan?" Hector asked the bird

"Well I live here. But enough chit chat, you need to follow me"

"Why do I need to follow you?"

The swan looked into Hector's eyes, a look weirdly human passing through its face, "Because it's an order from a goddess. Now come on, we don't have much time"

Hector looked around him, trying to see if anyone had noticed the swan talking to him. Not to his surprise, the cars just kept on going, nobody seemed to stop to ask if the kid had any mental problems. Deciding that there was nothing to lose, the young man followed the swan deep into the rain forest.

"Hey, umm, if you don't mind me asking, where are we exactly?" Hector asked as he dodged a tree branch.

"Aren't you supposed to know all the forests?"

"Not really, that would be my mom."

"We are in El Yunque Rainforest, located in Rio Grande" the swan said opening its wings

Hector. furrowed his eyebrows, "We're inTexas?"

"...Let's just walk and the goddess will tell you everything"

"Who are we meeting here?" the teen asked

The swan didn't reply. It just kept walking forward between the branches and wet leaves that had fallen on the ground. Hector noticed that the soil was very slippery, so much so that if he wasn't a son of Artemis, he probably would've fallen and hit his head on one of the numerous rocks.

The boy and the swan walked for around fifteen minutes, going up hills and going down them again. Thankfully, the tall trees covered them from the sun, making the temperature much more cooler than outside the rainforest.

"How much longer?" Hector asked the swan

"We're here" The swan replied.

The son of Perseus stood in front of a waterfall, watching the cold water splash on the numerous rocks. The water calmed him, although not as much as the tides did, but it still held some sort of effect. The sound, the coolness, the peacefulness that the waterfall reflected was enough to make Hector smile albeit his close destiny.

"Hello Son of Artemis" a woman stood besides the teenager. She had very tanned skin, straight brunette hair, and red-ish eyes. The woman held a stern face, a face that would make any demigod want to cry just by looking at it. She wore a red tank top along with a leather short skirt.

"Umm, who are you?" Hector asked cautiously

The woman smirked, "Well, it seems my dear mother did not teach you all of the gods. I am Enyo, goddess of War, Destruction, bloodlust and carnage"

Hector's eyes widened comically as all the blood fell from his face. "I-I'm s-so-sorry for n-not r-recognizing you Lady Enyo"

"Don't worry sweetie, you can make it up to me later on" the goddess winked as she bit her bottom lip.

The son of Perseus blushed a deep red. "Why did you ask me to come all the way here?"

"Well, it wasn't my idea, it was actually Bellona who wanted to talk to you, but she's Roman and you're Greek, so here I am. She wanted to give you something which you will need when you battle against the Titan King."

"How did she know I was the one who would battle the Titan King?" Hector asked

Enyo shrugged her shoulders, "I think it has something to do with the Son of Poseidon not having what it takes to end the devastation that the battle would cause. Or maybe it was a feeling that turned out to be correct."

Hector nodded, feeling uneasy being with such a goddess besides him, "What was it that Bellona wanted to give me?"

Enyo smiled and waved the son of Artemis to get closer to her. Slowly and with caution, Hector stepped closer to the goddess of bloodlust.

Once he was close enough, the goddess put and arm around the teen, making him automatically stiffen, "Relax, I'm not going to do anything with you yet. My Roman counterpart wanted to give you a blade"

Out of nowhere, a one handed three-foot long blade appeared on the ground. Hector looked at the goddess who simply nodded, letting the young man know that he was free to take the blade.

The sword felt very weird on his hand, but at the same time it felt natural. Maybe it was because he wasn't used to having a blade so light, but that same element made the young son of Artemis to grin at the weapon.

"Wow thanks for this blade! What's the reason for a goddess such as yourself to grant me this gift?" Hector asked as he swung the blade through the tree branches, cutting them effortlessly

"It belonged to a pirate named Roberto Cofresi y Ramirez de Arellano. That blade helped him win many battles, but ultimately betrayed its owner in his final one. In other words, this is a very powerful sword, but it is also cursed"

Hector dropped the sword immediately, "Cursed?"

"Yes, but Bellona enchanted it so that it would be of extra help to you. It also turns into a Swatch Watch when you're not using it"

"No but you don't understand. It's cursed, and it's gonna be mine. This sword will kill me" Hector said hurriedly

"I'm the one who's going to kill you if you don't graciously accept this gift!" Enyo told sternly, making the son of Artemis to pick up the sword and bow his head. "Great, now one more piece of advice. Use your skills to your advantage when you're battling the Titan Lord. Remember that you share his power, along with your father. If the Titan Lord were to fade, the balance of the universe would prevail because your father would maintain the domain of time. Think about how to use that"

Hector stared at the goddess, slowly losing the fear he held and instead it being turned into some sort of excitement for the war. He couldn't help but feel anxious, not wanting to wait any longer for the battle. Just imagining it made his heart race, cutting through people, launching arrows at the enemy, destroying the spirit of hundred of deserters...he wanted it all to be now.

"Hold your horses Hector, there's still some days left until the battle. Train with your blade these days and, when your mother and uncle come for you, you will be ready to defeat the traitors."

The son of Artemis smiled from ear to ear, happy about his new blade and the possibility of killing people. "Thank you Lady Enyo"

"Don't call me Lady Enyo. Call me Enyo, and after this is war is over, call me yours" The goddess touched Hector's chin before flashing out, leaving Hector confused about everything that had just happened.

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please take the time to review if you think something did not make sense or didn't like a part...I'll read all of your reviews! Thank you so much for reading!**

**Gracias mil!**

**-MCD**


	33. Last time at camp

There were 48 hours left until the 7th of August struck, which gave only 48 hours for the hero of Olympus to create a plan that would destroy the Titan King. The demigods from Camp Half-Blood were preparing to leave their precious camp and make their way onto Manhattan, where the final moments of many would occur. For a while, Camp Half-Blood was not the cherry summer camp full of normal demigods. It was now a training ground for the soldiers of Olympus, who needed to fight for their survival against the titans.

Cabins that were usually very happy and care-free had lost their demeanor. Everyone was on edge, and understandably so. While the normal campers ran around and gathered their weapons, the cabin leaders all met on the Big House. They were all nervous, as they had experienced first-hand how destructive the war was going to be.

But not all the cabin leaders were present on the war room of the Big House of the demigod camp. Annabeth Chase and Alexander Pond, daughter of Athena and son of Poseidon respectively, were together in the attic of the Big House. Close to a window, on a three legged stool, sat the Oracle of camp, a mummy with hippie clothes.

"She gives me the creeps" Alex told Annabeth as he looked the Oracle mummy up and down

"You've been here before"

"Doesn't make it any less creepy"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Let's just do our job and get out of here"

Alex looked at the mummy with confusion and nervousness, "So what now?"

Annabeth approached the mummy and held out her hands, "O Oracle, the time is at hand. I ask for the Great Prophecy"

The son of Poseidon looked at Annabeth with a raised eyebrow, "well, that was all for nothing"

Annabeth paid no mind to the comment, approaching the mummy and unclasping one of its necklaces. She then turned to the demigod son of Poseidon, holding a Native American medicine leather pouch. The daughter of Athena then opened the bag and took out a roll of parchment no bigger than her pinky finger.

"Uh no, impossible. I did not spend almost four years wondering about the stupid blasted prophecy, AND IT WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME" Alexander shook his head in disbelief

"The time wasn't right," Annabeth said. "Believe me, Alex, I read this when I was ten years old, and I still get nightmares because of it"

"Ok, can I read it?"

"Downstairs at the war council," Annabeth said. "Not in front of...you know"

The pair headed back downstairs and joined the other cabin leaders. The cabin councilors all had gathered around the a Ping-Pong table. Instead of sitting down calmly, however, a big discussion was taking place. The Ares cabin counselor, Clarisse LaRue, was yelling at the newly appointed Apollo Cabin counselor, Michael Yew. The other cabin counselors did not pay mind to their discussion, actually grinning over it. All except Silena Beauregard, who had just lost her boyfriend Charles Beckendorf on an explosion.

"SHUT UP" the son of Poseidon yelled

"Not until Michael stops being a selfish jerk" Clarisse growled

"Look who's talking!"Michael Yew said

"The only reason I'm here is to support Silena!" Clarisse shouted, "Otherwise I'd be back in my cabin"

"What are you talking about?" Alex demanded

Pollux, son of Dionysus, cleared his throat, "Clarisse has refused to speak to any of us, until her, um, issue is resolved. She hasn't spoken for three days"

"Best three days of my life" Travis Stoll said wistfully

"Ok, can you guys settle that matter later?" Alex asked. "I kinda have a life-changing prophecy to read"

The senior councilors all shut their mouths instantaneously, curious about this Great Prophecy. Annabeth handed Alex the dry and cold parchment. The son of Poseidon uncurled the paper, trying not to rip it, and began to read:

"A half-blood of the eldest dogs..."

"Er, Alex?" Annabeth interrupted. "That's gods. Not dogs"

"Oh, sorry," Alex said. "A half-blood of the eldest gods-hey it's changing"

"That's the prophecy?" Connor Stoll asked bewildered

"Alex, your dyslexia isn't that bad. The next line of the prophecy does not even resemble 'hey it's changing'" Annabeth said

"No, I mean the prophecy is changing. See?" Alex showed the parchment to Annabeth

The daughter of Athena blinked her eyes, trying to make sense to what she was seeing. "It's changing..."

"Alex, child, could you give me the prophecy for a moment?" Chiron asked the demigod.

Once Alexander handed the prophecy to his centaur mentor, Chiron looked at it with his eyes wide open. "It isn't supposed to do that"

"Wait, so what's happening?" Katie Gardner from the Demeter Cabin asked

"So you know that prophecy that has been the cause for almost all my near-death experiences? Well it turns out that it's changing out of nowhere. But you know, no big deal" Alex said with sarcasm laced on every word.

"It stopped moving" Chiron told suddenly, "The first verse is different"

"What?" Annabeth asked

"Clarisse, you should read it" Chiron held the parchment up

The daughter of Ares looked up, "Me?"

Chiron nodded, handing the small piece of paper to Clarisse. The demigod looked around the table, feeling weirdly uncomfortable with having to tell everyone the Great Prophecy.

"A-A halfblood of the eldest full-blooded god,

Shall reach sixteen against all odds,

And see the world in endless sleep,

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap,

A single choice shall end his days,

Olympus to preserve or raze" Clarisse finished reading the prophecy with a pale face

The demigods from around the table stared right at her.

"On the bright side, Alex won't die"Travis tried to lighten the mood, which earned him a slap on the back of his neck from Katie Garned, "hey!"

"Who's the eldest full-blooded god?" Pollux asked, voicing the same question everyone had in their minds.

"Ares, Ares is the eldest-full blooded god," Clarisse breathed out

"Wait, that's not true" Annabeth said

"Yes it is. Athena was born from Zeus and Metis, and Metis was a titan. Ares was the first-born of Zeus and Hera, making him the first full blooded god." Clarisse reasoned

"I wasn't talking about Athena. There is another god that was born much before him, a son of-"

"Hera and Poseidon" a male voice said from the now open door of the war room. The senior counselors all stood up and drew their weapons, glaring at the teen.

"Who are you?" Michael Yew asked, aiming an arrow to the teen's head.

"Wow, I leave camp for four years and suddenly I'm unrecognizable? We live in a society..."

"Hector, my child, what are you doing here? And what are you talking about a son of Hera and Poseidon?" Chiron asked

Hector smiled, "Well I'm here to help, of course. Can I sit down?"

"You know full well that this war council is not open to every camper" Alex told with a hint of jealousy

"I know, it's for senior counselors. Fortunately for me, I have a cabin just for myself, making me the senior counselor of my cabin" Hector grinned, making his way to be besides Michael Yew, who looked at him in distaste

"Oh don't look at me like that cuz" Hector said sitting down

Chiron's eyes widened, "Hector..."

"Yeah, I'm a son of Artemis. Surprised? So was I. Now let's get back to business 'cause we have a war to win in two days."

The demigods stayed silent, surprised that Artemis, the man-hater, had a son. A son.

"How do you know that it's going to be in two days?" Clarisse LaRue asked

"Because my birthday is in two days..." Hector said as if it was the most obvious thing ever

"Why does your birthday matter?" Clarisse further asked

"I'm the grandson of Hera and Poseidon, figure it out."

The members of the cabins had a minute of thought, but nobody seemed to be able to reach a conclusion.

"Oh for gods sake, his father is the eldest full-blooded god, making him the child of the prophecy" Annabeth blurted out

Once again, everyone turned their face onto the son of Artemis, who just declined himself on the chair. "What brainiac said is completely true, I'm the one who's going to die by a cursed blade."

"But how can we trust you if you fled camp at the same time Luke did?" Alex pointed out

"Do you want my whole life story?" Hector asked, earning lots of no's. "Well, I'm going to tell it anyways so you guys can trust me and so you can learn a little history on the way."

"It all started when my mom met my dad. My dad was a banished god and my mom was, well Artemis. Time passed, they fell in love and got married. Then, in 1993 they had me, but they had to give me away because of Zeus. Then I grew up here, as you all know, and then fled when I was 12 due to personal reasons. I then trained with Hera for two years. I met my mom in Maine, my dad while we were rescuing my mom, and found out that they were my parents thanks to Atlas. Then I fled once again, lived in South Dakota for a while, then moved to Massachusetts, and these last few days I was in Puerto Rico, which took me a long time to figure out I was there. Any questions?"

"Who's your dad?" Alex asked

"Perseus, god of time, tides, hospitality, childhood, feelings, sacrifice, and I feel like I'm missing some, but you get the giz"

"Did you say Perseus?" Silena opened her mouth for the first time

Hector turned his head to look at the camper he once considered to be his sister and glared, "yeah, what's up to you?"

"He's the one that helped me and a lot of my siblings to arrive safely at camp" Silena confessed

Hector nodded, not wanting to make conversation with Silena at the moment.

"Well then, now that we know that I am the child of the prophecy and who's going to sacrifice himself for the sake of Olympus, I think it would be a good idea that we ignore that and get moving to Manhattan. What do you think Chiron?"

The centaur looked sadly at his student but nodded nonetheless, "yes, everyone gather your cabin mates and let's meet at the Camp entrance"

The cabin leaders exited one by one, until only Alex, Annabeth and Hector remained on the war room.

"Hey, un, Annabeth" Hector tapped her shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Yeah," the daughter of Athena replied, "I'll catch up to you later Alex"

The son of Poseidon glared at Hector.

"Dont be so jealous Alex, that breaks up most relationships" Hector grinned.

Alexander Pond's face flushed red. He then turned around and left the room, leaving only Hector and Annabeth alone. The two of them stayed in an awkward silence, unsure of what to say.

Truth was that Annabeth had thought, for some strange and stupid reason (ironically), that she would not see Hector again in her life. This is why she filled the void of her heart with the next great thing, the supposed Child of the Prophecy. She had kissed him once in the beginning of summer, and both her and Alex were unsure of the meaning behind such kiss.

Hector, on the other hand, had stayed with Hera for the majority of the time, which gave no space for any new love interests. The closest would be Enyo back in Puerto Rico, but he knew that the goddess of bloodlust simply wanted to bring his guard down. At least he hoped so, being with such a goddess would be a very weird experience, one he was not sure if he wanted to go through.

"How have you been?" Hector asked Annabeth, breaking the awkward silence

"Good" Annabeth replied quickly. "Well, to be honest, not so good. There have been many demigods fleeing camp, and I fear that we are not enough to stop Kronos"

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. I've been reading-"

"You can read?"

"Yes I can read, and better than you, mind you. As I was saying, I was reading lots of Apollo's books, and along with the advice of Enyo, I figured out a way to destroy Kronos."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, "really? That's so awesome! So- wait a minute, who's Enyo?"

"I thought you knew all about Enyo. Goddess of a lot of morbid stuff...don't you know about her?" Hector asked genuinely curious

"What was she doing with you?" Annebth questioned

Hector raised his arms, "Am I on trial here? What about you and Alex?"

Annabeth blushed, "there's nothing going on between us"

Hector scoffed, "oh please. He's jealous and you're blushing, I'm not stupid enough to not notice these things. You're with him!"

"And why do you care?! Last time you told me to move on! But now that I did, here you are busting my metaphorical balls!"

"Well yeah, I told you to move on, but I didn't expect you to move on so fast."

Annabeth put her hands in her hips, "it took me three months for me to get over you."

"And soon after you went to the Big Thing, right? The son of Poseidon, Child of the Prophecy...just like you did when we were twelve"

"That does not mean anything. It's not my fault that you have trust issues" Annabeth said

"I trusted you with my every being, and next thing I know, you're with that bastard" Hector told with a loud voice

"What did you want me to do?! Why are you being so difficult?!" Annabeth opened her arms in desperation

"Because I love you, and it hurts to see you with another person" Hector confessed.

"Hector...I'm not with Alex"

"Do you still love me?" Hector grabbed the hands of the daughter of Athena.

Annabeth looked eyes with Hector. Her grey eyes began to shed tears as she told the words that would break Hector's heart.

"No...I loved you once, but something has changed. You broke my heart last time, and I don't think it will allow me to be with you anymore" Annabeth retired her hands from Hector's, turning around to leave.

"So that's it? It's over?" Hector stared at Annabeth's back

Annabeth paused for a second, "we are simply friends Hector, remember that from now on" she continued to walk, leaving Hector to dread alone on the room.

It was as if suddenly an ice cream truck full of sadness had run over his heart while starving children stepped on his heart. He knew they couldn't be together in the end, but it still hurt that the little hope he had was now gone. To put it in a way, Annabeth was the mortal anchor to Hector, meaning that it was the only thing that held him in mortality.

The son of Artemis knew that this wasn't a happy love story, and that once his "mortal anchor" was gone he would gain immortality because that was the only thing holding him from achieving it... No, he was simply left emotionless. He could care less if he survived or died in the war. To sacrifice himself for his family seemed to be the most noble act of death, and so Hector made his peace with that.

In the end he was going to have a sad ending, which he deserved. He had not been the best son, friend, nor lover. Were his parents mean towards each other? Or was this some personal trait that did not come from his mother or father? The answer did not matter, as he only had a little more than 48hrs left to live.

Hector Carib Troy left the big house and headed towards the entrance of Camp Half-Blood, where only the Aphrodite and Deméter cabin were present. He noticed Silena amongst the Aphrodite campers and decided to confront her about the incident in South Dakota.

"Hey Silena" Hector greeter the camper

"Hi Hector" She said trying but failing to mask her sadness

"Listen, we have to talk. It's something serious"

"I can't leave my siblings here alone. We're living really soon"

"They won't leave without me. And it will only take a minute." Hector took Silena's arm, paying no mind on the strength he did it with, "Hey Drew! You're in charge, alright?"

An asian Aphrodite camper winked at Hector, "of course Troy, anything for you"

Groaning, Hector pulled Silena with him towards the woods. Searching that nobody had followed them, the ex-camper let go of the daughter of Aphrodite's arm.

"Ouch, you grabbed too tight" Silena complained as she saw the red hand print that was left on her arm.

"You're a spy" Hector said

Silena stiffened, "n-no I'm not"

"Yes you are, you told me yourself in South Dakota"

"Please don't tell anybody, I didn't want to do it" Silena cried, falling to her knees.

"You clearly knew what you were doing. You and your friends SHOT ME, or do you not remember" Hector said angrily

"Let me explain everything Hector, please, for old time's sake"

Hector looked at Silena and how pitiful she looked bowing on the ground. "Fine, you have one minute"

"Some time ago, before I even liked Charlie, I liked Luke. He knew this and convinced me to join him. He said he was going to save the demigods, and I trusted him. Later on, I found out the truth, but he said that if I left then he would hurt Charlie. I couldn't let them hurt Charlie" Silena cried out

Hector bent down and hugged Silena, "hey, don't worry. I understand you, and I won't tell anyone sister"

Silena nodded and cleaned her tears away, "thank you for listening Hector. It really means a lot"

"I don't have much time left alive and I already screwed up one friendship, I better not lose anybody else" Hector joked

Silena frowned, "Proohecies have double meanings, you know that right?"

Hector shook his head, "I don't know, there's something about this one that just makes me feel very sure about what's going to happen. But I've made my peace with it. After all, Elysium must be the biggest party of the millennium, like, all the cool people are there"

Silena grinned, "that's true"

Hector stood up and stretched his arm, which Silena gladly took. They walked together to the entrance of the camp, where almost all the campers stood. Looking around, Hector noticed how there was only one cabin that was missing.

"Where the Hades is the Ares cabin?" He asked the Stoll brothers

"Clarisse said they're not coming" Travis still replied

"What do you mean by they're not coming?"

"Clarisse said that we don't appreciate the Ares cabin, or something along those words. Point is, she's mad and her cabin won't be coming" Connor Stoll answered for his brother

"You know what? If they're not coming then they're not coming. We have to go now" Hector told them. The son of Artemis ran towards the front, where Alex and Annabeth were standing. Without even acknowledging them, Hector turned to the demigods.

"Everyone! Tomorrow and the next day we will fight for our lives, for our parents, for our siblings, and for everyone we know and love. Some of us may die, but we will all be remembered as heroes. I was part of this camp for twelve years, and returned today for the sole reason of leading us to victory. DEMIGODS! WE WILL WIN! WE SHALL AVENGE THOSE LOST ON THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRITH! WE DO IT ALL FOR US! FOR OLYMPUS!" Hector gave his speech, raising his Bellona blessed pirate sword. By the end, the Greek demigods were all roaring and banging their shields to make the most noise.

"LETS GO!" Hector said, walking in front of the Greek demigod infantry. Unknowingly for many of them, that would be the last time they ever saw Camp Half-Blood.


	34. Destruction at sea

The Titan War had unofficially begun the same year in which Alex Pond arrived to Camp Half-Blood; the same year that Luke Castellan betrayed his home and affiliated himself with Kronos. The following years would be very eventful, with the poisoning of Thalia's tree, Artemis being trapped under the sky, and the Battle of the Labyrinth, there wasn't one year in which demigods could experience peace. In fact, during the last summer, almost every demigod had been issued unofficial quests in order to fight monsters and hopefully delay the titan final uprising.

During one of those summers, the demigod Alex Pond accidentally made the Mt. Saint Helens explode. With this "harmless explosion", the most destructive force of all the war was unleashed upon the world. His name was Typhon, the son of Gaea and father of all monsters. His power was astronomical and his drive to destroy Olympus was even bigger.

A great number of the Olympians took it upon themselves to fight such a being. Even if they were very egocentric and idealistic, the gods knew that the demigods were no match for the literal _Father of all monsters_. Amongst these Olympians were Zeus, Athena, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Hephaestus, and surprisingly Dionysus. However, even with all of their forces together, Typhon was just too powerful for them to be able to defeat by themselves. They needed some extra help, especially help that took the form of someone with full control of the oceans.

Unfortunately for them, the god of the sea, Poseidon, was currently battling his own wave of attacks on his kingdom. Atlantis, the kingdom of the sea, was being attacked by Oceanus forces. Poseidon couldn't leave his post because if he did, then his kingdom and strength would be forever lost. This meant that as much as he wished to aid the Olympians and his son on the surface, he would need to deal with his fair share of attacks.

He had fended the attacks for weeks now, but the number of his forces seemed to just decrease by the hour, and the attacks didn't seem to stop. At this rate, he would have no kingdom to look over to. Poseidon couldn't allow this to happen, after all, his kingdom was the only thing he had. His loyal subjects, who were literally giving their lives for their home, deserved a better end, they deserved to live longer lives.

The lord of the seas did not know what else to do. He couldn't ask the Olympians for help, and he couldn't sacrifice more than he already had. At the same time, he knew that the Olympians needed help to defeat Typhoon. His brain was in turmoil, many big decisions having to be made in a short amount of time. Wether or not to stay, that was his biggest dilemma.

"Sir, infantry 75 has fallen" a messenger came swimming towards the god.

Poseidon cletchened his fist and closed his eyes. That was the second infantry that had fallen in just a day.

"Tell the soldiers stationed west and north to retreat" Poseidon ordered

"What about those on the East and South?"

"They can endure a little more. Keep me updated" the merman bowed and swam away fast, leaving Poseidon alone in his chaotic throne room.

The lord of the seas rubbed his temple, the stress of the war already getting to him.

"Milord, there is an intruder that wishes to speak with you. He claims to be your son" a merman with brown hair told Poseidon from the entrance of the room.

Poseidon looked up, "did he tell you his name? Is it Alexander?"

"No sir, he didn't seem mortal. He held a godly aura" Poseidon nodded

"Very well, send him in"

"a-are you sure milord? What if it's a Oceanus spy?" the merman stuttered

"Then I will deal with him accordingly. Send him in at once"

"b-but-"

"NOW" Poseidon raged at the insubordination. The merman quickly bowed and swam away.

A couple of second later, a man being held by two mermans entered the Throne Room. Unlike every other Olympian or Atlantis soldier, the man wore a simple white t-shirt and grey sweatpants, along with a helmet and a simple breast-plate.

"Who are you?" Poseidon questioned

"If I can take my helmet off then maybe I could show you" the man said sarcastically.

Poseidon recognized the voice, but he wasn't sure from where. "Guards, release him."

The mermans released the man, who shook his arms as soon as the Sea God told the orders of his release. Looking directly at the sea-green eyes of Poseidon, the man took off his helmet, revealing the unruly black hair and same shade of green eyes. He held a slight smirk, big enough to show his personality, but still reflecting the seiousness of the situation.

"Perseus, long time no see my son" Poseidon hugged the god, who stiffened at the embrace.

"Yeah, can we talk alone...please?" Perseus asked, motioning at the guards with his head.

Poseidon nodded, discharging the mermen guards from his throne room. Once alone, Poseidon smiled at his son with a lot of mirth.

"What brings you here Perseus?" Poseidon asked his son, patting him on the shoulder

"You need to aid the Olympians" Perseus said without any delay.

"I know I must, but I have my own problems here. As you surely know, Oceanus has been attacking us for quite some time now"

"Yeah, I've heard." Perseus nodded, "but if Olympus falls then we will all meet our doom"

"Are you suggesting I abandon my kingdom for the sake of Olympus?"

"I'll stay here with a few troops, but you must go and help defeat Typhoon"

Poseidon scoffed, "How can you lead my troops?"

"Trust me father, I've studied Athena's battle plans and even read the Art of War by Sun Tzu, I'm more than ready"

"No, I won't let you"

"Father, please do it, I'm begging you. If Olympus falls it will only be a matter of time until Atlantis follows suit. If we do this, then both kingdoms can be saved. Please, it's the only way" Perseus begged

Poseidon thought about it, very deeply. He could not leave his people alone in good consciousness, but they wouldn't really be alone, they would be with Perseus. The sea god didn't know his son very well, granted, but something about him made him very trustable. He did not know if it was his determination or the actual logic behind his words, but the words of the God of Tides drilled their way into the mind of Poseidon.

"Fine, I'll leave with my army. There is only going to be one infantry left here in Atlantis, I trust you will do good work with them."

Perseus nodded, "Of course, a sacrifice is never in vain."

Poseidon left the throne room with Percy following right behind him.

"Tell the East and South soldiers to retreat at once. All members of the army must meet in front of the castle for a special announcement." Poseidon told one of the guards, who bowed and swam as fast as he could.

Two hours later, all the soldiers from Atlantis stood waiting impatiently for the announcement that their king would declare. Every single private, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and general were looking straight at the King of Atlantis. In front of everyone stood Poseidon, who was standing tall despite his tiredness, and Perseus, who was earning confused looks from every soldier present.

"My Army!" Poseidon began to speak, "First of all I need to congratulate every soldier of the army. You have all fought valiantly and have shown the true meaning of being an Atlantenean." the soldiers began to roar loudly, which was an incredible feat considering they were underwater.

Poseidon held his hand up, making the soldiers decrease the ruckus. "We all know that Atlantis coexists with Olympus, and if Olympus falls then that would be the end of our kingdom. These past few weeks, Typhon has been making his way into Olympus, and if we don't help the Olympians defeat him, then all our efforts would've been null. Furthermore, I have decided to send help to the demigods, as they are greatly outnumbered in their fight. That is why I have made the radical decision of sending my army to the surface"

"But what about our home? Oceanus will surely destroy Atlantis!" a merman soldier yelled in outrage, making many other soldiers follow suit.

"Atlantis won't be left unattended. The 65th Infantry will remain and defend our city from our enemy. They will be lead by my eldest son, Perseus" Poseidon explained

"How can an unknown person lead us?!" an unidentifiable soldier from the crowd asked

"This is not up for discussion! My decision is final. The cyclops will be waiting for Typhon on the Hudson River while I fight him alongside the rest of the gods. The rest of the army will unite with the demigods and follow the orders of my son Alexander Pond, who is the child of the prophecy. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir" the soldiers said in unison, as if it was just one entity that had somehow acquired hundreds of voices. The soldiers began to disperse, all getting ready to make their way to Manhattan, where the final battle was taking place.

"Father," Perseus said as Poseidon turned around

"Yes Perseus?"

The god of tides reached into his right pocket and brought out a small clock. It was about a quarter the size of the palm his hand, and it was held on by a gold chain. Perseus looked at the locked longingly before handing it to Poseidon.

"Give this to Artemis and tell her I love her and that I'm sorry, please"

"No, you can do it yourself" Poseidon rejected the clock

"Please, father, I know this is a suicide mission. The chances of me not ending up in Tartarus are very slim. Just please, give this to Artemis" Perseus said as silent tears fell out of his eyes

"Perseus, what are you saying?"

"I'm the god of sacrifice, I know what I'm doing. It's a sacrifice I must make for my family and for Olympus"

Poseidon shook his head, "No, Perseus, you do not need to do this. The army can stay here."

"I cannot allow more innocent demigods die while I can do something in my power to prevent this. Just, please dad, give this to Artemis"

Poseidon looked at his son, and for the first time, he saw something that he had not seen before. His son may have looked very similar to him, but there was something in him that gave away his similarity to his mother. He would risk everything for his family, even his own happiness and life. With his hand shaking, Poseidon took the clock and put it inside his tunic.

"I will. I will Perseus" Poseidon hugged his son, as the god of tides slowly put his arms around his father for the last time in a long time.

"Thank you father" Perseus whispered on his fathers ear.

The Lord of the Sea flashed a small smile before flashing away to join his fellow Olympians on their fight against Typhoon.

Perseus rubbed his eyes, not allowing himself to be seen in such a moment of weakness. He knew from the beginning what was going to happen, the reason why the fates gave him those domains, it all made sense. Being the god of sacrifices made him basically obligated to do such an act of bravery. He despised it to be honest. He wanted to help his son directly while he fought whichever monster came his way, but now he was stuck in a suicide mission, to protect Atlantis.

The god walked over to the 65th infantry, noticing how there were only 50 mermen. They didn't look particularly strong, and they all spoke a different language of dialect from what he had heard around Atlantis.

"Soldiers!" Perseus announced his presence. The mermans all stood up and saluted at their commander. "at ease"

"This is everything? The whole 65th infantry?" Perseus asked

"Yes sir, the rest of us were killed" one of the mermen told with a thick accent. He had black hair and a dark skin complexion.

"I'm sorry for your losses. If I may ask, where are you from?"

"This infantry was made specifically for soldiers from the Caribbean waters " the same soldier replied

Perseus nodded, "well, at least you have people who are like you around, so it's good you have an infantry for your kind"

"Forgive me for my rudeness, but that is not true sir. The 65th infantry has had more combat time than any other infantry, and the generals always give us the hardest missions, the suicide ones." another merman with blonde hair said.

The god of tides eyes widened at the news. Here they were on yet another suicide mission, and a suicide mission that had no escape. This mission was to fight until your death, or until the enemy dies off, which would be a very unlikely scenario. Even Sun Tzu said that if the numbers are greatly unequal, one should flee. But that was not an option! They could not run from their position.

"I guess you all already know the nature of this mission right?" Perseus said solemnly, earning many nods from the soldiers. "You also know that there is no way to flee, right?" again the soldiers nodded.

"We have to be strategic, and what better way to be strategic than to play with the mind of our opponent. So here's what we are going to do..."

Perseus explained his tactic to the poor infantry, and with every word, the spirits of the soldiers began to lift exponentially. The tactic was worthy of even Athena herself, and if all went according to plan they could actually win the battle. From a psychological standpoint, it was perfect, and from a tactical standpoint, it was the best they could do with their numbers. Adding to that the fact that he was the god of technology, Perseus made many adjustments to the simple "defend" plan. After going over the tactic for the fifth time, the soldiers cheered at the great tactical capability of the Son of Poseidon.

"You're even better than Poseidon himself" one of the youngest mermans said

"Don't let him hear you say that" Perseus grinned, "Alright, now that we are done, let's get into our positions. Remember, if we fall, we fall with honor, and that's the greatest gift a man can receive"

The soldiers bowed and ran to their positions. Around 5 hours later, the sound of monsters were heard on the outside of the city. Perseus swam to a small dune and saw the enemy, a 2,000 individual monster army, with Oceanus in front of his army. He had a blue fish tail and green eyes. His hair was green, even his beard.

"Poseidon! Surrender and your people will not need to die" Oceanus said loudly

Perseus swam back at where a soldier was situated, nodding his head in confirmation. The soldier pushed a button, making a loud roar sound throughout the kingdom. Sunsequently, many other roars began to take place on different strategic places.

Smirking, the god of childhood grabbed a megaphone and cleared his throat. "Oceanus, why do you ask us to surrender? May I remind you that not only do we have a surplus of weapons and amo, but we also have various brand-new never-before-seen beasts? So unless you want them to debut with the flesh of your soldiers, I suggest that you swim away" Perseus said in his best Poseidon impression.

"You sound like you have a cold Poseidon. Are you sure that you can sustain to fight now?" Oceanus asked

"I'm fine, but thank you for worrying about me"

"I must. After all, I wish to have a fair fight" Oceanus smirked

"Of course, it is very important. But, before anything, may you look behind you?" Perseus said smirking.

Oceanus raised an eyebrow at the sudden comment, but as he looked, he noticed how many of the Giant Squids and Sea serpents laid dead, each of them turning into golden dust.

"H-how?!" Oceanus asked

"Literally just controlled the water so that little Celestial Bronze blades would cut them in strategic places. It was really easier than what it sounds" Perseus smiled. "Be-tee-dubs, around 70% of your army will fall in 3...2...1"

As soon as he said one, little submarines with cyclopses faces drawn on the front were launched towards the enemy army. The monsters, abnormally afraid of the cyclopses, all got very close together. Upon seeing this, the infantry began to launch numerous spears, all of them killing the monsters instantaneously. Around ten members of the infantry then swam forward, their shields covering their stomach and fatal areas.

To Perseus surprise, the mermen knew how to fight very well. They moved swiftly and held great technique, knowing how to kill the sea creatures. However, when the time came to face the Leviathans, the merman knew nothing about the ancient being. They tried to fend for themselves, but for some reason everything they did was null. The leviathans were stronger, faster, and very scary for the mermen to be able to compete against. The small platoon that so bravely ran to fight was annihilated in a matter of seconds.

"Hey! Oceanus! Why are you using Jewish monsters in a Greek fight?" Perseus asked

"They're hard to kill" Oceanus replied

"Yeah, I know that. But I thought you said you wanted a fair fight"

"It is fair, as long as you have an army I will consider us equal. Everything is fair in love and war"

Perseus was fuming. He had just lost some of his best men and the battle was barely starting. There were still hundreds of monsters standing by Oceanus, all whom were waiting for a signal to attack.

"Sir, what now?" The merman at his side asked Perseus

"We will appear to be weak" Perseus replied without looking down at the merman

"But sir...we are weak. Shouldn't we do the opposite?"

Perseus shook his head, "no, appearing strong will only make them better prepared. If they think they have already won, then their hubris will ultimately be their downfall"

The merman began to shiver, feeling scared about the next few minutes. He knew that this may be his final stand, but he didn't want it to be that way. Being a solider had meant that he could no longer spend much time with his family. His three year old son who would never see his father again, would grow up without knowing how to provide for his family. He didn't want to die, he wanted to get out of this situation and return home.

"Lugo" Perseus said, bringing the merman out of his thoughts

"Yes sir?"

"Gather the remaining men and get as far away from here as possible" Perseus said looking straight at the enemy army

"W-what?" The soldier, Lugo, asked

"Gather everyone and get as far away as possible. I'm going in"

"Sir-"

"I'm not going to repeat myself. Gather the soldiers and run. It's time I end this" Perseus grabbed his soldier's shoulder and smiled lightly. "You guys have been the best infantry I could've ever asked"

The soldier nodded with tears eyes and saluted his commander. Perseus saluted his soldier, mantaining a serious face so that nobody could see how broken he really was. Lugo swam away, and Perseus saw how his comrade gathered the other members of the infantry.

Waiting three minutes, Percy decided that it was time to fight the Titan. The god of tides strengthened his back and cracked his nuckles, taking deep breaths before the final battle. He swam slowly, examining the sight in front of him. Oceanus stared confused at the god. He didn't recognize him, although he resembled a young Poseidon very much, but with faint features from Hera.

"Who are you?" Oceanus asked the god

"I'm Perseus, and I've come here on behalf of the Atlantis army. Our numbers are low, but your monsters will not hold much longer. Every great general knows that a prolonged war is not good for anybody, and I bet that you are a decent leader. It is better for us to end this now, a final battle per sé, pardon my French"

"Are you challenging me boy?"

"I was simply putting the idea out there. Your decision tho" Perseus grinned as he saw Oceanus enraged face.

"Very well, we shall have a fight to the death. Whoever loses will have to go to Tartarus, while the winner gets Atlantis. Deal?"

"Sounds fantastic. Now let's get this over with" Percy summoned his sword while Oceanus conjured a long axe and a snake. Perseus raised his eyebrow at the weird choice of weapon, but quickly realized that the Titan of the Sea would know how to use those weapons; after all, it was a fight to the death, and Oceanus didn't seem to be in any desire to die.

Perseus grabbed on tightly to his sword on his left hand, his knuckled turning white in anticipation. Deciding not to delay the fight any longer, Perseus swam forward towards Oceanus, yelling his heart out. The titan of the sea raised his axe, coming down in contact with Perseus sword. The titan's strength was much more than Perseus had anticipated, and so he couldn't hold the axe much longer.

He sidestepped, letting Oceanus' axe complete its motion. The god then decided to slash towards Oceanus side, which was uncovered from any protection. However, as he did this, the snake jumped into Perseus hand.

"Agh, what the fuck is this?!" Perseus yelled as he shook his arm trying to get rid of the snake

Oceanus laughed, "Her name is File, and it's going to be your downfall Perseus"

"So you brought a snake to a blade fight? Isn't that a little...weird?"

"If you consider using resources weird, then yes. However, this is a fight to the death and I will spare no expense if it means victory" Oceanus then swung his ace at Perseus, who could only try to evade. His left arm, in which his sword was grabbed, was in complete control of the snake. The axe cut Perseus on the right arm, drawing a lot of golden ichor from the wound.

"Son of a-"

"Well, it seems Perseus isn't that good of a fighter. Here I thought that the Atlatenean army would send their best fighter for the final battle, but they just sent a mere godling who is no match for a titan." Oceanus laughed sarcastically, making Perseus face rush with ichor.

Perseus switched the sword from hand, grabbing it with the severely cut right arm. He swam towards Oceanus and evaded his axe, doing a twirl of some kind and slashing on Oceanus abdomen. Oceanus then tried to cut Perseus legs with the axe, but Perseus just swam up and cut the titan on its cheek. The titan roared as his cheek was cut, as he immediately backhanded Perseus. The god was sent back by the intense force of the titan, but quickly gained control of his body as he stopped moving and glared at the titan.

"Hey look, the great Oceanus was cut my a mere god with a severed arm" Perseus boosted trying to get on Oceanus nerves.

The Titan of the Sea glared at Perseus. He raised his free hand as his eyes turned completely white. "Filas, trap the body"

On command, the snake that was grabbing Perseus arm grew in size and wrapped itself around Perseus whole body. The god's eyes widened in realization of his impairment, his body being compromised by a mere snake. He tried to move, but his arms were bound to his side by the snake, and as much as he tried to escape, his movements were impossible to make.

"Oceanus, are you such a coward that you need a snake to do all your work for you?" Perseus asked

The Father of the Waters smiled, "It's nothing personal Perseus, but as you said, nobody benefits from a prolonged war"

"So you would rather fight without honor?"

"I will do anything to win, including getting rid of your army." Oceanus moved his hand. The water around them obeyed the command, moving around into the city of Atlantis. One by one, the remaining members of the 65th infantry were floated around by the water. Their faces were full of terror as they were powerless to move away from their impending doom.

"You really thought you could hide them from me? The Titan of the Seas?"

"What are you going to do with them?!" Perseus asked desperately. His eyes were filling with hate, feeling powerless to help his comrades.

"I do not trust that they will not rebel once I get ahold of the city, so the best thing is to get rid of them. No hard feelings" Oceanus winked at Perseus.

"No..YOU BASTARD! LET ME GO!" Perseus tried to move, but the hold of the snake was simply much for him to handle.

The Titan of the Sea swam slowly towards the remaining soldiers of the infantry. All of them were wearing their armor and helmets, but that didn't stop anybody from noticing their eyes filled with terror and their trembling bodies. It wasn't long before the soldiers died by the hand of Oceanus.

"Now that that's over with, I can finally end this war with your death. Remember this day Perseus. This is the day where you failed to keep your father's kingdom safe, the day where you failed to keep your soldiers safe, and the day where you died. What are your last words?" Oceanus put his axe on Perseus neck, giving a psycho smile to the god.

Instead of being scared, Percy's eyes showed fury. He had promised his father that he was going to defend his city to the best of his abilities, but he could not feel anything but ashamed at how fast Oceanus had beaten him. Sure, his tactics had destroyed a great part of his army, but the result was the same. The god of tides would not be there for his son or parents when the battle ended, but worst of all, he would not be there to hug Artemis one last time.

His time with her was so much yet so short. Being with her was the happiest he ever felt, and he couldn't help but resent himself for not having enjoyed it as much the last few years. He had promised her that he would always be there for her, and that he would always do everything in his power to turn. But now, as he was held powerless by a puny snake, he could not help but resent himself.

The memories of him and Artemis alone together, the memories of them on the island, everything was repeating on Perseus head. Her smile, her hair, her eyes, her laugh, everything that he would miss was playing in a constant movie on his mind. He felt sad, of course, but he felt mostly mad, for as he did not want to part ways just yet. Their story had been short, and all due to external forces.

"_Perseus, use that fury for good"_a female voice said on his head

"_With anger comes destruction_," another voice said

"_and with destruction comes victory_" a final voice said

Perseus knew who they were. The fates had just basically announced his last domain, the domain that he would need to know in order to destroy the titan. The domain that he would get to know with Artemis help, and even if she wasn't there physically, it was her memories that triggered his anger.

"Oceanus, fuck off" Perseus said as he glowed an intense blue-green aura. Oceanus turned angry at the comment. He raised his axe, ready to cut the head off of the puny god. As soon as he was about to make contact with the neck of the god, however, the aura that was emitted from the god became much too intense, blinding everyone for an instant.

"My name is Perseus, son of Poseidon and Hera, heir to the Olympian and Atlantis thrones, god of Tides, Childhood, hospitality, feelings, secrets, humor, sacrifice, time, and destruction. Oceanus, you have killed my comrades, now prepare to die" Perseus said in a low voice before exploding himself. Every being from the Oceanus army fell dead at the explosion. From titans to gods to monsters, the explosion did not discriminate on its victim. Everything in a 1-mile radius had gone straight to Tartarus or were simply faded from existence, the explosion destroying everything they were.

* * *

**For those of you who don't know, the 65th infantry of the US army was an infantry made up of Puertorican soldiers which served as bait on many missions, and had the most amount of combat time in the Korean War. I wrote them in because I got reminded of them when I was writing this fanfic, and it's an extra history lesson for you guys :)**

**I'm really bad at writing right scenes, so sorry if it sucked**

**Thank you for the reviews but I must ask...wtf SexLover2000?! I mean thanks for reading but...**


	35. War in Manhattan

A whole day of fighting had passed, and the ongoing battle in Manhattan was proving to be as difficult as the demigods had expected. Even with the help of the Troopers of Athena (formerly known as the Hunters of Artemis), the demigods still suffered a great number of losses. As much and as valiantly as they fought, the titan forces simply outnumbered them by the hundreds. Between the traitorous demigods and all the monsters, the Titan Army was bound to win. They also had no help from the gods, as they were fighting the ever approaching Typhon. In simple words, the demigods seemed to have no chance at winning, and they all knew it.

Currently, Alexander Pond, Annabeth Chase, and Hector Carib Troy, along with a hellhound, were trying to defeat the Lydian Dragon. A clear sighted mortal named Rachel Dare had told them that it was destined to be killed y a child of Ares, and so no matter how much they tried, they could simply not kill it. Just as they were about to give up, Clarisse LaRue arrived in full armor, along with the rest of the Ares Cabin.

"Ares!" Clarisse said with a shrilly voice, "Attack!"

The Ares campers were brave. Clarisse was right there in front, stabbing her spear at the drakon's face, trying to put out its other eye. But things started to go wrong as time went by. The drakon was able to snap an Ares kid in half, it knocked aside another, and sprayed poison at a third, who retreated back in panic as his armor melted.

"We have to help" Annabeth said

The two sea spawns nodded, jumping onto the monster''s back and running towards it's head, trying to get the attention away from Clarisse.

The Ares cabin threw javelins, most of them which broke, but some were able to lodge themselves in the monster's teeth. As the monster snapped its jaws together, its mouth became a mess of green blood, yellow foamy poison and splintered weapons.

"You can do it!" Alex screamed at Clarisse. "A child of Ares is destined to kill it!"

Clarisse looked at them and nodded, but there was something different about her. Her blue eyes shone with fear, and everyone knew that psychopath Clarisse never showed fear. Also, Clarisse didn't even _have_ blue eyes.

"ARES!" she shouted in that strange shrill voice. She leveled her spear and charged the drakon.

"That's not Clarisse" Hector muttered. "WAIT"

As soon as the Clarisse impostor was about to stab the Lydian Drakon on the face and kill it, the monster spit some venom into the face of "Clarisse".

She screamed loudly and fell

"Clarisse!" Annabeth jumped off the monster's back and ran to help, while the other Ares campers tried to defend their fallen counselor.

Hector and Alex fought the drakon with great fury. For several minutes all they did was dodge poison, but they couldn't do any damage to the stupid monster.

Suddenly, a flying chariot landed on Fifth Avenue. A girl ran towards the scene, her voice filled with grief.

"NO! Fuck you, WHY?!"

As Hector looked over he saw Clarisse kneeling besides the girl in Clarisse's armor. Her cabin mates were trying to unfasten her helmet, who was smoked with poison.

"WHY?" The real Clarisse demanded, holding the other girl in her arms while the campers struggled to remove the poison-corroded helmet.

The drakon turned to Clarisse, baring its fangs at the group that surrounded the dying demigod. Clarisse looked up at the drakon, her face filled with absolute hate.

"YOU WANT DEATH?" Clarisse screamed at the drakon. "WELL, COME ON!"

She grabbed the spear from the fallen girl, and without any protection whatsoever, the daughter of Ares engaged in combat with the drakon. Before anybody could assist her, Clarisse jumped onto the monster's face, driving her electric spear into its good eye with so much force it shattered the shaft, releasing all of the magic weapon's power. The creature's head filled with electricity, causing its whole body to shudder. Clarisse then jumped off the drakon, leaving the monster to decompose in agony. In the end, only the exoskeleton of the monster remained, a hollow scaly tunnel of armor.

Everyone stared at Clarisse in both awe and fear, as nobody had ever seen anyone take down such a huge monster so quickly, and single-handedly. However, the daughter of Ares did not seem to care about it, as she ran back to the wounded girl who had stolen her armor.

Finally, Annabeth Chase managed to remove the girl's helmet. Everyone gathered around: the Ares Cabin, Annabeth, Alex and Hector. The battle still raged along Fifth Avenue, but none of them seemed to care about that. Time seemed to slow down around them, creating a safe space for them, but only for a while.

Silena Beauregard, the daughter of Aphrodite, laid dying with her face badly burned from the drakon's poison.

"What were you thinking?" Clarisse cradled Silena's head in her lap.

Silena tried to swallow, but her lips were dry and cracked. "Wouldn't...listen. Cabin would...only follow you."

"So you stole my armor," Clarisse said in disbelief. "You waited until Chris and I went out on patrol; you stole my armor and pretended to be me." She glared at her siblings. "And NONE of you noticed"

The Ares cabin didn't know what to reply, both ashamed and feeling the guilt of their fallen comrade.

"Don't blame them," Silena said. "They wanted to... to believe I was you"

"You stupid Aphrodite girl," Clarisse sobbed. "You charged a drakon? Why?"

"All my fault," Silena said, a tear streaking the side of her face. "The drakon, Charlie's death...camp endangered-"

"Stop it!" Clarisse said. "That's not true"

Silena opened her hand, revealing a silver bracelet with a scythe charm in her palm.

"You were the spy" Alex said in disbelief

Silena tried to nod. "Before...before I liked Charlie, Luke was nice to me. He was so...charming. Handsome. Later, I wanted to stop helping him, but he threatened to tell. He promised...he promised I was saving lives. Fewer people would get hurt. He told me he wouldn't hurt...Charlie. He lied to me."

"You had a valid reason Silena, don't punish yourself too much" Hector said kneeling on the other side of Silena's body

"Forgive me" Silena said painfully

"You're not dying" Clarisse said forcefully

"Hector, tell your father thank you from my part. He...he brought me to Camp Half-Blood. And thank you...for being my little brother"

"No, Silena, I can save you" Hector cried

"It's over...Charlie" Silena's eyes were a million miles away. "See Charlie..."

The body of the daughter of Aphrodite stopped breathing, her heart stopped breathing, and her soul left her.

"That son of a BITCH!" Hector roared, picking up his bow and running towards the battle.

Hector joined the ongoing battle in fifth avenue, launching his arrows at great speeds and engaging in short-range battles from time to time. Along with Clarisse, the son of Artemis became almost indestructible. The pair took out everything that came in their path, no matter how big the monster was, they took it out with ease.

After a while, the two of them seemed to have killed a great number of Kronos Army.

"Clarisse, I'm going to go to the Empire State. Are you gonna do alright alone?" Hector asked as he killed a empousa with an arrow

"Of course Wood boy, I'll do alright" Clarisse said as she killed a demigod

Hector nodded and ran towards the Empire State Building, hearing a faint "I AM CLARISSE, DRAKON-SLAYED" and many death threats who followed.

Inside of the Empire State Building were many of the wounded. It was jam-packed, as the number of wounded campers, Troopers, and satyrs grew as time went on.

The son of Artemis looked around and noticed Annabeth and Alex talking to a Thalia Grace, the Trooper that wanted to kill him not too long ago.

"-have a feeling they'll need you up there-to set up the final defense." Thalia said

"Who'll need who where?" Hector asked approaching the trio

"Excuse me, I was talking to Alex and Annabeth"

"Right, but don't I have the right to know?"

"Thalia was telling us to go to Olympus and help with their defense" Alex said, not wanting to have a fight between Thalia and Hector

Hector grinned, "Oh alright. Yeah, you guys should go. I'll follow you to the elevators"

Annabeth, Alex, and Hector walked towards the elevators, where they met with Connor and Travis Stoll, the sons of Hermes.

"Is it true?" Connor asked. "About Silena?"

Alex nodded, "She died a hero."

Travis shifted uncomfortably. "Um, I also heard-"

Hector grabbed the son of Hermes by his collar and looked straight into his eyes. "She died a hero. End. Of. Story."

"Alright alright alright," Travis put his hands up, making Hector put him down. "Listen, we figure the Titan's army will have trouble getting up the elevator. They'll have to go up a few at a time. And the giants won't be able to fit at all."

"That's our biggest advantage." Alex said, "Any way to disable the elevator?"

"Not really. The elevator works by magic, but the defense is crumbling and so anyone can just head straight up without problem" Travis said

"Then we have to keep them away from the doors," Alex said, "We'll bottle them up in the lobby."

"We need reinforcements," Travis said. "They'll just keep coming. Eventually they'll overwhelm us."

"There are no reinforcements," Connor complained

"Actually," Hector furrowed his eyebrows. "I can get us reinforcements."

Leaving the confused demigods to be, the son of Artemis ran outside. The streets were quiet, way too quiet for the likes of Hector. It was as if something sinister was approaching them, something that was supposed to be unforeseen.

Hector entered a very solitary alley next to a small irrelevant street. The son of Artemis took out his sword and cut his arm a little bit, letting a couple of drops of blood fall on the sewer. With nobody and no creature around, the ex-camper closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He felt his body as one with nature, which was very hard to do considering he was in the middle of the most important city on Earth. Concentrating even further, Hector felt every wild creature in the tri-state area become one with him.

"I am Hector Troy, son of Artemis, goddess of the wildlife. I request help from every animal available. Hear my plead, help your patron" Hector raised his hands and told the sky. After some time had passed, the son of Artemis decided to head back to the Empire State Building.

The lobby of the Empire State Building was the same as when he had left. Many wounded warriors and some of the unwounded ones just stood/sat there waiting for their next battle plan. There were very few campers and troopers that were able to fight, around thirty in total actually.

"Hey, is this everyone?" Hector asked Connor Stoll

The son of Hermes nodded solemnly, "Yep. Everyone else is up on Olympus being treated. Did you call for reinforcements?"

"Yeah, it may take a while for them to get here tho"

"How much time are we talking about here?"

Hector shrugged his shoulders, "Some may get here in fifteen minutes, others may take a few hours"

"Who exactly did you call?"

"You'll know when they get here" Hector answer cryptically, walking towards where some of the troopers were.

The troopers wore a traditional greek battle armor, which looked much worse than their original hunter uniform in Hector's opinion, and they each had a spear and a bow. They seemed to glow light grey, which wasn't that different from silver, but it still dulled them. The un-wounded ones stood talking amongst themselves, trying to ease their stress. Seeing many fallen sisters and feeling the unnerving doom that seemed to come, the troopers were very scared, even if they didn't show it.

"Long time no see," Hector said, interrupting the trooper's conversation. "how're you guys holding up?"

They all turned to look at him with hate I their eyes, "Fuck off _boy_"

Hector raised his hands, "Hey, I'm just asking how you are, you know, since the campers got some injured..."

"You know we have some injured as well, so don't ask the obvious" a blonde haired trooper said

"My bad. But look, I just wanted to make peace with you guys"

"Peace about what?" another trooper asked.

"You shouldn't hate me for my parents actions" Hector began, "Yes, Artemis may have lied to you for centuries, and yes she may have broken her oath and conceived me, but that doesn't mean that you should stop respecting her or that you should want to kill me. From what I know, mom had tried to tell the Olympians about me and my dad, but a prophecy got in the way, and then you saw how Zeus reacted when he found out...what I'm saying is, please forgive my mom. She didn't mean to hurt you guys, and I know that she really misses you. So, after this is all over, please forgive her"

"Look, Hunter-" a trooper began to say

"Hector"

"_Hector, _we know that it's not your fault, but that doesn't mean we can't hate you. As for Artemis, she broke our trust. We served her blindly and loyally for centuries, and she repays us with lies. I think I'm speaking for all of us when we say that a simple apology just won't cut it"

Hector stared at them for a while, looking straight into the eyes of each and every one of the present troopers. "And there's nothing I can do to make it right?"

"No" the blonde trooper replied.

"Fine, then I'll have to prove myself to you" Hector said with finality, turning around and gathering with some of the Apollo kids who were not healing the wounded.

The campers, troopers and satyrs were relaxing for just a bit when, out of nowhere, the Titan Army appeared on the street.

"A surprise attack!" a random Ares camper yelled before being stabbed by a giant

"Shit, THALIA! TELL ALEX AND ANNABETH TO GET THEIR ASSES OVER HERE" Hector yelled, looking directly into the eyes of Kronos. "Everyone! Defend Olympus!"

The campers, troopers, satyrs, and even the Party Ponies ran towards the enemy, engaging themselves in battle. It was a tough one, with many of the campers falling dead at the feet of their enemies, and many troopers getting wounded. Hector fought valiantly against many of the monsters, until he was incapacitated by three traitor demigods.

He laid with a spear stuck on his abdomen, watching as the battle raged on. The son of Artemis saw how Clarisse was defeated by a Hyperborean giant, as she and her chariot stood frozen in a block of ice. Some of the centaurs that were helping the efforts had fled, while others had died and disintegrated. The only one left standing was Chiron, who had an arrow notched straight at Kronos's face.

Hector saw as Alex, Annabeth and Thalia came out of the Empire State Building, looking in shock at the scene in front of them.

"Step aside, little son" Kronos told Chiron

"I'm afraid not" Chiron replied sternly, just as he did when he was mad at his students, which Hector had heard quite a few times having grown up in Camp Half-Blood.

The dracaena queen, who was standing besides Kronos, charged at Chiron with great speed. Chiron launched his arrow, embedding it on the forehead of the dracaena. The monster vaporized immediately upon contact, leaving the empty armor of the dracaena to fall on the ground. Chiron reached for another arrow, but his quiver was empty.

Realizing that he had no other choice, Chiron dropped his bow and drew his sword, a weapon who did not give any advantage to the centaur. The titan king chuckled, stepping towards the trainer of heroes.

"You're a teacher." Kronos sneered. "Not a hero"

"Luke was a hero," Chiron replied. "He was a good one, until _you_ corrupted him"

"IDIOT!" Kronos's voice was heard throughout the city. "You filled his head with empty promises. You said that the gods cared about me!"

"Me," Chiron pointed out. "You said _me_"

Taking advantage of Kronos' confusion, Chiron swung his sword at the face of Kronos. But the titan king was very quick, and with great fighting skills. He easily evaded the attack and knocked Chiron's blade, yelling at the top of his lungs, "BACK!"

The centaur was sent flying into the side of the building with such a force that the wall crumbled and collapsed on top of him.

"No!" Annabeth yelled, running towards the pile of broken wall on the middle of the Manhattan street. Alex and Thalia followed her, picking up many of the bricks trying to find their mentor.

"YOU!" Annabeth turned to Luke. "To think that I...that I thought-"

She drew her trusty knife.

"Annabeth, don't" Alex tried to take her arm, but she shook it off.

The daughter of Athena engaged on a fight with the Kronos possessed Luke, who had stopped laughing as soon as he saw that Annabeth launched at him. She tried to stab Kronos between the straps of his armor, right at his collar-bone, but the blade bounced harmlessly off of his body. Annabeth recoiled in pain, clutching her arm on her stomach. It seemed as if the daughter of Athena had just suffered from a dislocated shoulder.

Kronos took this opportunity to try and finish her off, but Alexander Pond was able to yank her back.

At that time, a loud howl was heard all throughout the city. Everyone looked at the origin, surprised at the source of the sound. Standing on the street were hundreds of wolves, bears, deers, squirrels, skunks, bunnies, foxes, and just about every temperate deciduous forest mammal ever known. Looking at the animals, Hector slowly stood up, pulling the spear out of his abdomen.

"Follow the will of Artemis!" Hector yelled at the top of his lungs, earning the attention of everyone present on the battlefield. Pointing his sword at Kronos, he glared harshly at the titan king. "FOR ARTEMIS!"

All the animals ran towards the titan army, making a surprising amount of damage to the force. Kronos began to walk towards Hector, but he stopped when a loud "_Arroooooo_!" sound was heard on the street.

From the other side of the street, a small figure wearing a black armor sat on top of a hellhound. The hellhound bounded towards Alex, ignoring the monsters in the way.

"Nico?" Alex asked

"Got your message. Is it too late to join the party?" Nico smiled

"Son of Hades." Kronos spit, "Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?"

"You know, I was kinda hoping you would die instead,"

"I'm inmortal, you fool I have escaped Tartarus. You have no business here, and no chance to live."

Nico drew his sword, grinning maniacally. "I don't agree"

The ground started to rumble, cracks appearing on the road and the sidewalks. Skeletal hands grasped the air as the dead clawed their way into the world of the living, coming to aid their masters. There were literally thousands of dead soldiers coming from bellow. The Titan army individuals who were not fighting the animals began to back away.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND!" Kronos demanded. "The dead are not match for us."

The sky turned dark and cold, shadows thickened and a harsh war horn was blown.

"Who the fuck is that?" Hector muttered

A large chariot roared down Fifth Avenue, coming to a stop next to Nico diAngelo. The horses were living shadows, fashioned from darkness. Holding the reins of the chariot was Hades, with Demeter and Persephone riding behind him. A teenage girl jumped out of the chariot in full battle armor. It was hard to identify her, but her black eyes were a classic trait of Hades children.

"Nice of you to show up Bianca" Nico said from beside Alex

"Hey! I had to hurry them up. It's not my fault they wanted to look good for a fight" the girl rolled her eyes.

"Hello Father." Hades said, ignoring the bickering siblings. "You're looking...young"

"Hades," Kronos growled. "I hope you and the ladies have come to pledge your allegiance"

"I'm afraid not. You see, my children here have convinced me-" Hades began to say before being interrupted by sea shell horn.

"Oh for gods sake! Who's coming now?" Kronos whined, which was pretty comical if the situation they were in was not considered.

Marching from where Hades army was standing, a very large blue-armored army came. They all wore serious faces and many of them had blue-purple skin. If a doctor were to see them, he would've most likely thought that they were all inbred people from Kentucky. But they were not inbred people from Kentucky, they were Poseidon's personal army.

"Demigods! We have come here from Atlantis to help you on your efforts" the general in charge said

"YOU'VE LEFT ATLANTIS ALL ALONE! Oceanus will destroy it!" Kronos laughed

"Our lord has left the bravest infantry led by one of his son's. We firmly believe that they will be able to keep Atlantis safe"

Hector, seeing how many soldiers had come to their aid, decided to go up to Olympus. After all, he doubted that Kronos would somehow be stopped from going to Olympus. No, that son of a whore would most likely send his own soldiers to battle while he went up to Olympus.

Feeling all the attention shifted on the two armies, Hector summoned a giant wild boar, who launched itself at one of the Hyperboreans. He then ran towards the elevator, one hand on his bow and another on his wound, getting in and closing the doors as fast as he could.

"Hurry hurry hurry hurry" Hector muttered under his breath as the elevator went up. There was no horrible music to distract him from what was going to happen.

Finally, the elevator arrived at the 600th floor. The doors opened and Mt. Olympus seemed on the brink of Chaos. The minor gods were preparing themselves for battle, and the medics were trying to get the wounded to a safe space. Hector looked around, trying to find at least one person who looked familiar.

Then, he spotted the person who had gave him his cursed blade.

"Enyo!" Hector ran as fast as he could towards the goddess.

"Hector, you're alive. Somehow..." Enyo said noticing his wound.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt that much AGHAHGHAGH" the son of Artemis was saying before Enyo stuck a finger on his wound

"Yep, that's a fatal wound. How are you still running around?"

Hector grimaced, "I don't know, but that isn't important right now. I gotta ask you something"

"What is it?"

"The blade you gave me, does it has something special done to it?"

Enyo shrugged her arms, "I don't know, that was done by Bellona, not me. I was simply the messenger"

"You don't know anything?" Hector asked

"I mean I could ask, but it's gonna cost you"

"What is it going to cost?"

Enyo put a hand on her chin and began to "_think_". Then, raising a finger, she grinned.

"How about a kiss?"

"A-a what?" Hector said confused

"You kiss me, I'll tell you what exactly the curse of the blade is"

Hector looked around him, noticing how all the minor gods were panicking, scared of the incoming Kronos. He saw how many of the wounded demigods were dying despite the efforts made by Will and the Apollo Cabin. It was just one kiss with a goddess, and he could put an end to it all.

The son of Artemis looked at the goddess, who stood just a little bit shorter than him. She wasn't ugly. In fact, she was very pretty. But Hector felt wrong doing it, there was something inside him which blamed him for even considering it.

Hector leaned forward, little by little, until his lips met Enyo's. The goddess wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer towards her. Hector's eyes widened from the sudden possession on the goddess part. He pushed her away gently and looked at her.

"Aww, I wanted it to be longer" Enyo pouted

"I kissed you, you didn't say how long it had to be"

"Fine, a deal is a deal. The blade I gave you is not affected by any curse, and that is it's curse."

Hector furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head, "What?"

"It can cut people with the Curse of Achilles. That is it's curse. It also betrays people and the owner always dies...but the curse is mainly the first thing" Enyo explained

"It sounds more of a blessing than a curse"

"Be careful of what you say Hector. The biggest blessings have turned out to be the worst of curses" Enyo warned, walking past him and getting ready for the arrival of the titan lord.

"You should head to the Throne Room on the Olympian palace. That's where Kronos will go" Enyo said without turning to face Hector.

"Come with me" Hector said

Enyo didn't reply. She just kept on walking towards the elevator, waiting for Kronos to arrive at Olympus.

Hector made his way onto the Throne Room, running as fast as he could with his bleeding wound. As he approached the Throne Room, the son of Artemis heard the screams of gods and goddesses. He knew what was happening: Kronos had arrived and was making his way onto the palace. Buildings falling and exploding were heard all throughout the god's residence, and many more screams came with them.

"Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down, BRICK BY BRICK" Hector heard Kronos say somewhere behind him.

At last, after a few minutes of painful journey, Hector arrived at the Throne Room. All twelve thrones stood magnificently, showing pure power and control of the domains which they represented. His head focused on a silver throne with moon a doe's designs. Hector instantly recognized it as Artemis' throne, the throne of his mother.

The doors of the throne room were ripped off their hinges, revealing Kronos and Ethan Nakamura.

"Here we a-what the fuck are you doing here?" Kronos asked, his eyes glowing a golden color.

"I'm here to stop you from destroying Olympus" Hector said, aiming and launching an arrow at Ethan Nakamura's neck, killing the son of Nemesis.

"I am going to make you watch as I destroy all the thrones. Starting with your whore of a mother's throne" Kronos said

"You will not destroy any throne Kronos" a voice behind the titan said. Turning around, the titan king saw Alexander Pond, along with Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood.

"Or maybe I can destroy you first Pond" Kronos said smiling

"Turn around and fight me like a man you coward!" Hector roared, launching an arrow towards Kronos. The arrow did not have any effect on the titan, however, it just bounced harmlessly.

"You call me a coward yet you launch an arrow when I'm not facing you? Hypocrite. Just like your mother,"

Hector's face flushed red with anger. He dropped his bow on the ground, touching his watch and summoning the sword which Enyo had gifted him...or rather Bellona had gifted him.

"Fight me with a sword Kronos. Unless you're afraid" Hector said

Kronos scythe slowly turned into a blade. The titan king raised his sword and began to battle Hector. Both of them had great swordsmanship, but Kronos had a physical advantage. Alex came from behind and tried to battle Kronos, but the the titan was able to evade and push the son of Poseidon to the ground. Hector then slashed at Kronos, but the former simply was able to stop the sword from cutting him by using his sword. Then, using his great force, Kronos punched Hector on the shoulder, making him drop the weapon.

Taking this opportunity, Kronos grabbed the son of Perseus by his neck and elevated him. Hector couldn't breathe, his eyes only seeing Annabeth who approached him from behind Kronos. But the Titan king wasn't unaware of this approach, and so with a simple hand flick, the daughter of Athena was sent backwards.

"Annabeth!" Alex screamed

Kronos, deciding to have a little fun before killing the supposed "hero", simply crashed Hector's body on the floor, leaving the son of Artemis almost paralyzed.

Kronos then approached the son of Poseidon, who had just gotten up. Alexander tried to slash at Kronos, but the titan had simply controlled time around Alex, making him do all of his movements in slow motion.

"It's too late, Alex Pond," Kronos said "Behold!"

Kronos pointed at the hearth, making the coal glow, thus creating a white Iris-message like image. In it, Alex could see Nico battling many monsters, along with his sister Bianca and their father Hades. It was a hard battle, the titan forces seemed endless. Even with all the help Hector, Poseidon and Hades had sent, the titan army was simply overwhelming.

The scene shifted, showing something that would terrify any demigod to the core. Approaching the Hudson River was a giant column of storm. Many chariots circled it, locked in combat with the creature.

Lightning flashed, arrows of gold and silver streaked into the cloud like rocket tracers and exploded. Looking more closely, it was evident that the cloud-like creature was Typhon, and the ones who were battling were the Olympian gods.

"The Olympians are giving their final effort." Kronos laughed. "How pathetic."

Zeus threw a lighting bolt at Typhon, but the Storm Giant simply staggered a little bit, keeping on his pace towards Olympus.

Then, something extraordinary happened. When Typhon stepped on the Hudson River, one of the chariots made a conch horn sound. It was the call of the ocean, done by Poseidon.

Poseidon's chariot flew below, circling the monster and swinging his trident, the river responding to his will. It made a funnel cloud around the monster, effectively trapping it.

"No!" Kronos yelled after some silence. "NO!"

"NOW, MY BRETHREN!" Poseidon yelled loudly, "STRIKE FOR OLYMPUS!"

Warriors burst out of the river, riding he waved on huge sharks and dragons, and even sea horses. It was a infantry of cyclopes, being lead by Poseidon's youngest cyclops, Tyson. The cyclopses tied Typhon down. Poseidon then threw his trident and impaled the monster in the throat. Golden ichor spewed like a waterfall from the monster's wound.

The other gods attacked with a renewed force. Ares stabbed the monster in the nose, Artemis shot a dozen of arrows at the eye of Typhon, Apollo shot blazing arrows, setting the monster on fire, and Zeus kept sending lighting at the monster. Little by little, the water rose and wrapped Typhon like a cocoon, sending him straight into Tartarus.

"THE FUCK HAPPENED?!" Kronos screamed, slashing the image with his sword

"They're on their way." Alex said, "You've lost"

Kronos smirked and looked straight to Alex, "I haven't even started."

Kronos ran towards Alex, who readied himself for the attack. Kronos slashed furiously, making the son of Poseidon lose his balance lightly. Alex was able to sidestep and jab under Kronos's guard, but the titan countered the strike and disarmed the son of Poseidon.

"AAAHHHHH" Hector yelled, standing up and running straight into Kronos with his sword on his hand.

The titan turned around just in time and stabbed Hector on the chest. Hector's eyes widened from the pain and fury, and blood poured from his mouth.

"Was that all you had son of Artemis? I must say that I'm disappointed" Kronos said

"You..shouldn't be" Hector said, stabbing his sword straight into Kronos' heart

"H-h-how?"

_"Me ti megalyteri thysía, káno to teletourgikó tou chrónou. Ypárchoun treis theótites, allá chereiázontai móno dyo. Díno ti zou mou gia tin isorropía tou sympantos, gia na exaleípso mia gia pánta ton titána kai ton tyranno. Afíste ton thánato na érthei kai gia tour dyo, oúte gia ton Tártaro. An gia lógo o Perséas den eínai zontanós torá, me aftín ti thysía, zitó apó tin psychí tou na epistrépsei gia na diacheiristeí ton chróno._" Hector recited in perfect Greek

A white light envolved Kronos and the son of Artemis. Piece by piece, the immortality of Kronos was taken away from the body as it became part of that white light.

When the light disappeared, both bodies laid on the floor in a pool of blood.

"Curse...you" Kronos said, his body going limp as soon as he completed those words.

Hector smiled despite the great deal of pain he was dealing with.

"Hector!" Alex yelled, running towards the bloody body. "Hang in there buddy, we can call Will to heal you"

"No, don't...don't do it. This...was my...my sacrifice. Kronos...is-is gone forever. Faded" Hector struggled to say

"Troy!" Annabeth ran to his side, cradling his head on her lap. "You can't die"

"The prophecy is completed. I did my job" Hector coughed, blood tarnishing Annabeth's clothes.

"No, you don't have to die. Luke is dead, maybe he was the child of the prophecy" Annabeth tried to reason, Alex nodding his head besides her.

"I'm sorry..." Hector's eye led out a single tear. "Silena said...to thank dad. Tell my mom... I'm sorry for...being such a...bad son. And I'm sorry...Annabeth for...everything. Please take care of her Alex"

"I will" Alex replied

"It hurts...so much. But it's worth it...for my family" Hector said, taking his last breath in the world of the living.

* * *

**There you have it, as you can see, this story is coming to an end. It has been really fun writing it, but I feel that if I extend it, I will just be adding new weird plot lines that will mess up the original idea. I mean, originally this idea of mine was supposed to be a one-shot, and just by modifying the first chapter, this story has turned into my best work. **

**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. This chapter was longer as you could see, and I'm not good at writing very long chapters, so I hope this is coherent. **

**Wifiespancake, I like your idea, but as you could see in this chapter, it wouldn't work. I was already thinking about closing this story soon, and while your idea is good, it would just send me into a direction I'm honestly not looking at. Hope you understand :)**

**I know what Hector said at the end was in "Greek" (not written in greek characters) but that's more readable. It basically said that he made a sacrifice and that Kronos would fade. **

**Alex Pond is not an asshole as many other fanfictions put sons of Poseidon who are not Percy. He grew up just like Percy Jackson from the books did, he bathed on the Styx just like Percy from the books, so i tried to make him a nice person. He wasn't the focus of the story, so I couldn't put many fight scenes on him, but he is still a nice and useful person. **

**Finally, think of Enyo's kiss as a last kiss. Enyo probably knew he was going to die, and so she decided to kiss him one time before his death. **

**And yeah, that's about all I have to say. Again, thank you for reading and I sincerely hope you liked this chapter. **


	36. The circle of life

The Olympian gods were able to send Typhon back to Tartarus with great help from Poseidon. If it weren't for the god of the sea, there was no telling what the outcome of the fight would've been. Each of them were grateful for the work he had done, but the thank you's had to wait for when the war was completely over. The gods who had engaged in the fight went to Fifth Avenue, where they saw a combination of monsters, soldiers, mammals, and mortals who were running around in panic. With the help from the Olympian, the remaining Titan army was easily defeated; killed, captured, or imprisoned.

Artemis dismissed the animals who had aided in combat, promising to gift them for their help. Poseidon dismissed his army and Hades sent the dead back to the Underworld. All that remained on the street were the corpses of those campers and Troopers who had fought until their last breath, and the many mortals who ran around in panic.

Zeus got tired of the panicked mortals and simply swiped his, restoring Manhattan to its before-war state. The mortals looked around, and thanks to the mist, they completely ignored the Empire State Building's block, which was filled with corpses.

"Brother," Zeus walked towards Hades. "I see you have aided us"

"I did it only because of my children, there is no other reason." Hades replied

"Still," the King of Gods put a hand on Hades's shoulder. "thank you"

"Hey! What about me?" Poseidon asked getting closer to his brothers. "If I hadn't sent my forces who knows what would've happened"

"...right. I must...thank you brother." Zeus muttered

"Thank you for what?" Poseidon put a hand on his ear as if he was trying to hear what Zeus had just said.

"For aiding us. Without you it would've been very difficult to win"

"That's what I thought" Poseidon grinned.

Suddenly, the sky emitted a very bright white light. It was so bright that it almost blinded the gods, and the source seemed to be Olympus. In silent agreement, all the Olympians got on their chariots and headed to their home, ready to engage in battle with the Titan King. They flew at impossible speeds, reaching the top of Mt. Olympus in mere seconds.

What greeted them was horrifying, an Olympus that seemed to be almost completely destroyed. Minor gods laid barely breathing, some with their limbs cut off. Shrines and temples were vandalized, the buildings that once stood tall were now destroyed. It was exactly what had happened to some of their Greek temples as time went by. Like Artemis Temple, once one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world was now just three rocks in the middle of a Turkey.

As they ran towards the Throne Room, Zeus noticed his daughter Thalia trapped under the statue of Hera. Thankfully, the statue didn't crush any vital organs, just her legs, which would be able to be cured with ambrosia and time.

"Thalia!" Zeus yelled, running towards his injured daughter. "Hold on, we'll help you. Ares! Apollo! Help me lift the statue."

The two gods rushed towards the demigoddess, lifting the statue as Zeus pulled his daughter to safety.

"Thalia, stay here while we deal with Kronos." Zeus commanded.

Thalia nodded her head, her head focused on the pain she was feeling on her legs.

The gods continued to run towards the throne room. They all had their weapons ready: Zeus had his master bolt, Poseidon his trident, Ares and Athena their spears, the twin archers their bows, and Hades a black sword. Quickly, not giving much attention to the destruction surrounding them, the gods arrived at the Throne Room.

They were all expecting a battle to engage in. However, the scene in front of them was exactly the _end_ of one.

Right in front of them laid the body of Ethan Nakamura, who'd died due to an arrow in his throat. Inside the room were two corpses and three alive campers. Alex, Annabeth, and Grover were all kneeling by a boy with auburn-brown hair, who looked much more auburn due to the blood that it was tainted with. Close to them laid the body of Luke Castellan, the son of Hermes, and the host of Kronos. He laid with a wound right on his heart, and his blue eyes were frozen in death.

"Alex," Poseidon said, trying to say words despite his shock. "What...what happened?"

Alex Pond looked straight at Poseidon, his eyes filled with tears. "He saved us...he sacrificed himself"

"Who's the boy?" Artemis asked

Alex avoided her gaze, his eyes falling to his sneakers. Annabeth began to cry once again, as Grover patter her back in comfort.

"I asked you a question. Who is he?!" Artemis asked forcefully, her voice cracking.

"H-he" Alex tried to say, but the words didn't want to come out. He was afraid of what the moon goddess might do to him when he announced the death of her only child. Alex lifted his gaze to look at Artemis, his eyes filling with tears. His lips were trembling from the combination of sorrow and fear. Artemis stepped forward, walking by Alex, who stood crying.

Fifteen steps, that's all it took for Artemis to reach the dead body and confirm her fears. Laying dead next to a crying Annabeth was Hector Carib Troy, the first and only son of Artemis.

Artemis stood in shock, her brain not wanting to comprehend the scene that was in front of her. Her eyes scanned the body, how he had two fatal wounds, one in his chest and another on his abdomen. His eyes were closed and his face was peaceful. His traits being so similar to Perseus, but his hair being almost identical to Artemis. The still-wet trail of a tear adorned his pale cheek, and his mouth was covered in mortal blood.

"No...t-that's not him" Artemis stuttered.

Apollo walked to his sister and hugged her tightly. She wanted to shake him off, but the sun god just hugged Artemis tighter.

"Artemis, we knew this would happen" Apollo tried to comfort her

"You said that prophecies have double meanings" Artemis cried

"Not always. It seems this one was pretty straight forward."

"Then we could've helped him! Why is he like that?!"

"It was the will of the fates Arty. You know how we don't have any say in that"

Artemis cried her sorrows away on Apollo's chest, as all the other Olympians saw the proud moon goddess grief. Hermes stepped towards his son's dead body and hugged him, deeply apologizing for being an absent father. Athena went to embrace her daughter but was stopped by Poseidon, who put a hand on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Athena said

Poseidon simply shook his head and pointed at Annabeth, who was being gently embraced by Alex. As much as Athena despised the sea spawn, she knew that her daughter needed a close friend in these times.

"It's not fair Apollo. It's not fair" Artemis muttered, her eyes unable to produce any more tears.

"I know it's not sis" Apollo replied. He was also crying, but not because of his nephew. Sure, he was saddened by his death, but his mind was much more focused on the children he had lost during the war. Even if he wasn't a present father, Apollo still loved all his children, and it broke him having to see them dead on the street. His grief was not as big as Artemis's, this due to the fact that he had many more children. Artemis had just lost her single child, her _first _child.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared on the throne room. The gods stopped grieving for a second and summoned their weapons, prepared to attack whoever had decided to enter the Throne Room without their permission. Once the light diminished, the Three Fates walked towards Hector's corpse.

"We must take the boy" Atropos said, pointing at Hector

"What?" Artemis told in a threatening tone.

"He has completed the prophecy" Clotho stepped forward

"Kronos will never rise again" Lachesis walked towards the cadaver

"But we must take his body to finish the ritual." Atropos continued

"Or else his sacrifice would be in vain" Clotho ended the idea.

The fates conjured a silver-and-blue shroud, in which they placed Hector's body, and began carrying it out of the throne room.

"Wait," Artemis said.

Artemis walked towards the shroud. She lifted the cloth that was covering Hector's face and kissed his forehead.

"I'm so sorry for not being there for you. If you ever choose to go for rebirth, I wish for you to enter a happy family. You deserve that much. I will always love you my son." Artemis muttered her last words towards her non-listening son. She then nodded, allowing the Fates to carry her son's body.

"Can we move the dead bodies outside? They kinda stink" Aphrodite pinched her nose, interrupting the sad moment that was happening in front of her.

Zeus rolled his eyes, "Fine. Hermes, take them outside."

Hermes nodded and grabbed his sons body, who was covered in blood from the wound in such a vital organ.

"She needs help!" Alex yelled out of nowhere, getting all the attention from the gods.

"I've got this" Apollo stepped forward. "God of medicine, at your service"

He passed his hand on top of the daughter of Athena. Miraculously, the cuts, bruises and scars disappeared. Her broken arm was straightened, and she sighed in her sleep.

"She'll be as good as new in a couple of minutes, which gives me enough time for me to create a poem. How about 'Apollo and Friends Save Olympus'?"

"I'll let you handle the poem" Alex said

"That's what I was thinking too. Ok, how about this:

_The sons of Olympus fought their way_  
_to the heart of the west they prevailed_  
_and amaranth fell with dove again_  
_he fell so hard, and with no gains._

_But the sun always shines bright in any situation_  
_as it gives more hope for the civilization_  
_and then the moon weeps as she is jealous_  
_of the awesomeness that is the older Letoid_" Apollo recited

"Ok, first of all, that last part didn't rhyme. Second, seriously Apollo, can you lie or not?" Artemis asked, walking towards her twin. Her face was still sad, but she tried her hardest to hide it.

"I never lied" Apollo defended himself

"You know you're younger!"

"No I'm not. I'm the older sibling"

"We're twins! And I helped mom give birth to you!" Artemis raised her hands

Apollo shook his head. "That's not what I remember. I just woke up one day and my baby sister was there next to me" Apollo pinched Artemis cheek

"Ouch! Why do you do that so hard?" Artemis rubbed her cheek

"Because you're my baby sis"

The next few hours went by somewhat quickly. The gods repaired the throne rom, which was done at great speed thanks to the twelve powerful Olympians who worked their asses off. Alex and Grover took their leave and tended to the wounded. Then, they greeted their surviving friends. There was Thalia Grace, who had escaped the statue thanks to Ares and Apollo and was now walking with crutches, Connor and Travis Stoll who had minor injuries, Katie Gardner, the daughter of Demeter, Clarisse La Rue, and Nico and Bianca di Angelo.

Hera and Hephaestus walked past Alex. While Hephaestus mumbled something almost incomprehensible, Hera put a hand on Alex's shoulder, which made the poor son of Poseidon to jump in surprise.

"I heard you were a friend of Hector's" Hera told the sea spawn

"I mean, not really. We barely talked except for in battle...he was more of Annabeth's friend" Alex said

"Regardless, you were by his side on his death. Thank you, and tell your girlfriend that I am eternally grateful." Hera smiled kindly, which was a very weird sight for the son of Poseidon, and walked away.

Artemis sat on her throne watching as Athena talked to her Hunters...well the correct term for them now were troopers. She still couldn't believe the horrible name Athena had decided for the Hunt. It was so bad! Hunters of Artemis had a nice ring to it, it was catchy. But troopers just reminded everyone of Starship Troopers, a movie which Percy had forced her to watch.

Her thought shifted to Percy, her husband. The last time she had seen him had been some time before she went to pick up Hector in Hera's house. She had spent the night with him and then left early in the morning without even eating breakfast. Now that she had lost her son, the only thing that Artemis wanted to do was hug her husband and remain with him for hours. Without talking and without watching anything, just be together with him, to make her feel safe once again.

Artemis was brought out of her thoughts by Zeus clearing his throat.

"Well, Poseidon? Are you too proud to join us in the council my brother?" Zeus gumbled

Poseidon, who was with his son Alex, grinned and replied. "I would be honored, Lord Zeus"

The rest of the meeting went by quickly. Artemis paid no attention to it, her mind wasn't fit for it. All she knew was that Alexander Pond had denied godhood and that Annabeth was now the architect of Olympus. She also knew that the fallen Troopers would achieve Elysium, and that the gods had to claim their children before they were 14. The rest was just stupid dialogue, something Artemis couldn't care less about.

Soon enough the meeting ended, with all the demigods exiting the throne room and the gods joining their children.

Artemis shrunk to her 21 year old self and walked out of the throne room.

"Artemis," a male said from behind her.

Artemis turned around and saw the God of the Sea.

"Poseidon. What is it you need to talk about?" Artemis asked without any emotion

Poseidon reached inside of his toga, searching for something. Then, he took out a small clock, not even half the size of his palm.

"That's Percy's" Artemis said

Poseidon nodded. He took Artemis hand and put the clock in it, taking her fingers so they enclosed the clock in its entirety.

"Why-why are you giving me this?" Artemis stuttered, afraid of the answer Poseidon might give her.

"He told me to give you this, that he's sorry and that he loves you" Poseidon said in a low tone

"Sorry for what?"

"He was in Atlantis...and he stayed there against Oceanus without my army. It was his idea. I tried to talk him out of it but..."

Artemis tears began to fall for the second time that day. "W-whe-where's P-Percy?"

Poseidon led a single tear fall from his eye, as he shook his head slowly. "He's gone"

Artemis whole world came crashing down. In just one day, the fates had managed to rip her out of any chance of having a family. Her husband and child were gone, and as far as she was concerned, there was no chance of them getting back. Well, maybe Percy, but that would take him centuries, if not more.

She felt alone for the first time in her life. She had nowhere to go and no-one to turn to. Poseidon had turned around and left, Apollo was talking to his children, and her father was nowhere to be seen. Artemis no longer had her hunters...her friends. They were all ripped away in a matter of a year. No husband, no child, no house, no-one to cry onto. Artemis was alone, in a physical and emotional state.

That's when the death of Hector _really _hit her. Her only child, the only thing which she could proudly call hers was now gone. And it truly seemed that he was mortal. She remembered his corpse, only mortal blood on the floor and on his body. He had died, just like any other mortal had before him. But at least he died a hero, both of them had died heroes.

Artemis got on her chariot and flew away from Olympus. She was in no mood to celebrate their victory. For the gods and campers, they had lost people but still were able to protect their belongings and some of their loved ones in the end. But Artemis did not save anyone, she just experienced the death of her entire family. It was a small family, but it was _hers_. With a brother that was Olympus biggest man-whore, a father who had almost killed her and a mother who she could never see, the Goddess of the moon truly had no-one to cope with.

She didn't know where she was headed... Artemis did not want to go anywhere, she simply wanted to die and rejoin with her family in the Underworld. But not even that was possible. Percy was probably suffering in Tartarus and Hector was on his way to Elysium. From all the angles possible, Artemis was alone.

The goddess took advantage of her state however, and decided to build a new life. She settled in some woods in northern Idaho, a solitary place with many pine-trees and wilderness. The weather was cool and perfect for the huntress.

It took Artemis around a week to build an acceptable cabin as far away from any town as possible. It was a simple shack, with a small kitchen, one bedroom, and a small tv. Animal pelts adorned the walls of her home, and a deer head hung just above the sofa. If any member of Peta entered the cabin, they surely would've died of shock. Then they would've died for real because Artemis hated Peta.

After a month, Artemis had begun to run around the forest, trying to find new animals which to hunt. She ran around, becoming tired after only a few kilometers of running, which wasn't normally a lot of distance for the goddess of the hunt. The next few days, the silver goddess had started to crave _vegetables, _something that she hadn't eaten since...

Artemis panicked. She wasn't ready for it to happen all over again. The life part was wonderful, but another death would simply break the goddess's already broken heart. She went to the nearest town and went to the drug-store. Much to her dislike, the pharmacy wasn't one in which you could grab anything, pay, and then leave. The goddess had to ask the pharmacist for what she needed.

Standing in her 21 year old form, Artemis went towards the counter, ready to ask for the test.

"Good morning dear, how may I help you today?" the male pharmacist kindly asked.

"Can I have a..." Artemis then whispered, "_pregnancy test_"

"Oh. Of course dear, I'll bring it right up" the old man turned around and started searching for the test. "If I may ask, who's the father? There aren't many guys around here, and I would hate to see one of these young men not taking responsibility for their actions."

Artemis smiled kindly, trying not to seem annoyed by the pharmacist. "It's no-one from around here. It's actually my husband's."

"Oh congratulations if it is positive. If you are pregnant, how do you plan to tell him?" the pharmacist handed the test to the goddess.

Artemis smile fell greatly, "My husband...he died in war"

"Oh I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't know why the government is still sending young men to Afghanistan. Leave them be, we are not winning the war and we're breaking families"

"Yeah, well, there's nothing much we can do" Artemis said, not telling the old man that Percy had not died in the Middle East.

"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to come here and ask."

"I will. Thank you sir" Artemis paid for the test and headed to her cabin.

After going to the bathroom of her home, Artemis sat on her bed with the test on her hand. She waited five minutes just to make sure it was true, and turning it around, she saw the "+" sign on the stick.

"It's positive" Artemis cried. She cried because of happiness and sadness. Happiness because she could form a family all over again, she could take care of her child just as she hadn't done with Hector. Sadness because she would have to raise the child all on her own. She would not have the support of her husband during her pregnancy nor in those important times of her child's development. The first steps, the first words, his first meal, Percy would miss all of it. Her son or daughter would grow up without a father, only with a mother who had no idea what she is doing.

A week followed and Artemis barely left her shack. She had begun to eat raw eggplant, avocados, and salmon. For someone who had a strict carnivorous diet, the change had not been easy. But those were her cravings, the cravings of a woman with child.

Getting tired of moping around, the goddess of the hunt decided to, well, hunt. She woke up at the crack of dawn and began her journey to find the biggest deer, or monster, or whatever she could hunt while away from the perimeter of her cabin. Artemis must've walked for four hours when she found another cabin. This cabin seemed very familiar however, as if she had already been inside of it long ago.

She went closer to the cabin, which was filled with a smell that was a mixture of forest and the sea. Opening the door, she found a big house, clearly identical to the house on that strange unnamed island from long ago. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the furniture, the dirty plates, the television, everything was identical as the house where she had met her husband.

"It's bigger on the inside," a voice behind the goddess said, making her turn quickly to the origin of the voice. To her surprise, the man who she had been yearning for stood right in front of her, with a smile as big as it could get.

"Percy" Artemis breathed out

The god of tides looked as his wife up and down, measuring all of her. Once again he was captivated by the intense beauty that stood in front of him.

"So, I guess this is what a deja vu feels like" Percy said grinning.


	37. The mortal that fades

In the Greek world, a dead soul would be brought to the Underworld either by Hermes or Thanatos. Then, they would have to cross the River Styx with Charon, the person in charge of transporting the dead. After crossing the river, a soul would be judged by three judges, which would decide if the soul would go to Elysium (the equivalent of Heaven in Christianity), the Fields of Asphodel (which was like limbo), or the Fields of Punishment (where evil souls would get tortured for eternity). It was a fair system, as the souls received what they deserved from their time on Earth.

After the Second Titan War, Hades had deemed every demigod and hunter who had fallen while defending Olympus worthy of going to Elysium. Silent Beauregard, Michael Yew, Lee Fletcher, Charles Beckendorf, among many others, were living the life after death in complete peace.

But there was one fallen warrior who had not arrived to Elysium. The one who had sacrificed himself for the safety of Olympus had never even arrived to the Underworld. Hades had no idea where his soul had went, and asking his minions or other Underworld deities did not give him a real answer.

The God of the Dead had gone up to Olympus and talked to Zeus about this special case. Never in millennia of ruling the Underworld had a soul simply disappeared, or even worse, never even arrived to the next step. Even if the Fates had taken him, a soul _always _went to the underworld.

As soon as he heard the news, Zeus summoned a Council meeting of all the Olympians to discuss this problem. It was simply a matter of maintaining order in the universe, the hate he held to the boy's father or the love he held towards Artemis played no role in the decision to call a meeting.

One by one, almost all the Olympians arrived at the throne room. They were very confused for this sudden meeting, as there was not supposed to be any other threat so close to a previous finished war. The gods were all looking pretty mad at being summoned so abruptly. They all had better things to be doing, such as hooking up with some mortal or planting grain.

"Why have you called this meeting brother?" Poseidon asked in a tired tone.

Zeus looked around the room, making eye contact with every member present. His eyes then fell on the empty silver throne, the only member that had casually skipped the council meeting.

"Apollo, where's your sister?" Zeus asked his son

The sun god shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know"

"Well can't you call her or something?" The thunder god pressured.

"How?"

"Dude, don't you have some weird twin telepathy thing?" Hermes asked

"That's true! We do have that. How could I forget something as awesome as that?" Apollo smiled

"Well then do it" Zeus said

"Do what?"

"Call her!"

"Right! Sorry. Calling Artemis..." Apollo put his finger up, looking around the room.

"Hey little sis!" "Yes you are, I'm older and awesome" "Yes I am! I'm the god of music, and music is awesome." "Whatever, listen, why aren't you-oh, it was a voicemail" Apollo said slumping on his throne embarrassed.

"You had a conversation with a voicemail?" Athena raised her eyebrow

"It happens. Point is, Artemis isn't picking up" Apollo told his father

Zeus rubbed his temple. "Can you not find out where she is?"

"Let me try" Apollo concentrated, narrowing his eyes.

After around a minute, Apollo shook his head. "Well, she's somewhere"

"What do you mean she's _somewhere_?" Zeus asked

"She's alive, but I don't know where she is, therefore she's somewhere"

"Maybe she's fucking with Percy in some remote place" Aphrodite suggested as she filed her nails.

"That's not possible." Poseidon said. All the Olympians turned to look at him, confused at his words.

"How is that not possible? She's not a virgin anymore and they're married, so that's a very plausible option" Aphrodite asked in outrage

"Percy is dead" Poseidon simply said. "He died protecting Atlantis while I aided you guys"

Apollo looked at his uncle in shock as tears threatened to fall. Aphrodite looked at the sea god in shock as the news of her best-friend hit her, and Hera was doing her best not to flash away and destroy a whole building.

"Alright, he's dead. Boohoo. Do we need Artemis for this meeting or can we continue and finish already?" Ares asked bored out of his mind, which earned him the glare of many Olympians and a golden arrow embedded itself way too close to his head.

"Well," Zeus cleared his throat. "This meeting was about someone who died in the war, but whose soul never reached the Underworld. I am talking of course about Hector Troy, the son of Artemis. So, Artemis _was_ kind of important in this meeting"

"How is it that a mortal soul did not reach the underworld?" Hermes asked perplexed

The Olympians turned their heads to Hades, who was sitting in his make-shift throne. The Lord of the Underworld raised his hands to assert his innocence. "Don't look at me, I'm the one who told Thunder Pants here that his soul was missing"

"Apollo, can you ask your Oracle and see if there is any knowledge about the whereabouts of the should of my grandson?" Zeus asked Apollo

"I can check, but I doubt there will be any information" Apollo replied.

"Alright then. The rest of you must try and find the lost soul. Athena, have the troopers investigate any potential areas where the soul might be, and the rest of you simply look for it. Meeting adjourned." Zeus said, flashing out.

While this was happening, a figure stood alone in the middle of nowhere. Surrounding him was nothing, not white space, not black space, simply nothing. It was a place where nothing existed, as hard as that is to imagine. This place extended itself to eternity and beyond, and it didn't start on a certain place.

The figure looked down at his body. His eyes widened when he found himself uninjured, with clean clothes and with lots of energy. He wore a blue short-sleeve button-down shirt and khaki shorts. His shoes were Vans the same color as his pant, and his hair was very-well trimmed on its side as it gave an aura of care. The boy looked 16 and stood at around 5'11. Not 6'0 nor 5'10, 5'11.

"Where am I?" the boy asked himself

"You are nowhere and everywhere at the same time." A female voice said behind him.

The boy turned around and came face to face with the Three Fates.

"Umm, who are you? And what did you mean by nowhere an everywhere?" the boy questioned

"We are the Fates, Hector. And to answer your question, you are currently in the Void" Clotho said

"That sounds super cliche. Next thing I know I'm part of Chaos army and I'll have to save Olympus from a primordial like Nyx."

"Stupid boy. Chaos does not meddle in the matters of Earth. He is simply the creator, he does not play any other role" Lachesis sneered

"So I'm not going to get adopted by him and get a cool codename like _Alpha_?" Hector asked sadly

"No...where did you get such ideas?" Atropos inquired

Hector shrugged his shoulders, "I read them on the internet, they sounded cool...what am I doing here then?"

"Your life has been out of our control, Hector. From beginning to end, you life was simply unpredictable even for us" Lachesis said

"And that's a bad thing?"

"You were supposed to be born a god, yet you grew up as something else. Not a demigod for sure as monsters did not sense you, but you weren't mortal as you still held the power of both of your parents." Atropos said

"The son of two gods should not be able to die, yet you did. You sacrificed yourself for your friends and family, and that is a true act of honor." Clotho continued

"We have deemed that you deserve a second chance at life. You should be able to live like a god, with immortality and with a family, something that couldn't be provided your first time around." Lachesis told

"So, I can go back to my parents?" Hector asked

"Yes, if you so wish" Clotho replied

"Is there a catch?"

"Nothing comes without a price to pay, you surely know this by now." Atropos replied

"So what's the catch then?"

The fates looked at each other, feeling uneasy for the third time in their lives. For some unknown reason, they felt for the boy. He had sacrificed himself even when he didn't lead a happy life. It wasn't a life filled with abuse or anything of the sort, but the boy was simply unhappy all throughout.

"If you choose to return, then all your memories will be erased."

"That's not so bad" Hector mused

"We weren't finished. If you choose to return, the ritual of time would not be completed and so Kronos would be able to return, and also your father would most likely be in Tartarus for many years. If you stay dead, then Kronos will fade completely, your father will stay with your mother, and the Olympians will never have to fight the Titan of Time again. Your father Perseus will assume that role, and Olympus will have peace two millennia from now." Clotho explained

"So it's basically unite with half my family without any memories or be the biggest jerk in the history of everything" Hector summarized

The fates nodded in sync. "Yes, that is one way to put it"

"Creepy..." Hector muttered. "I guess my choice is pretty obvious, no?"

"We thought you would choose that." Lachesis said

"It is the most noble of choices." Clotho added

"If you so wish, you can send a final message to your parents. It would be the last time you can make contact with them" Atropos told

"Would I be able to deliver it?"

The fates nodded once again. "Yes, but it shall be the last thing you do."

"What do you mean?"

"After delivering the message, you will return here, where your soul will completely disappear from existence. Because you were supposed to be born a god, your soul cannot go to Elysium, and because you were born a mortal, you cannot go to Tartarus and be born again." Lachesis explained

"So, after I do this, I'm gone forever?"

"That is correct" They told in sync

Hector looked at stomach, moving his hand as to where his wound had been. His other hand moved to his chest, where he felt the necklace that he had since he was an infant. If he so decided, his life could begin again. He could live happily with his family, find love, have kids of his own, and be a god. But that wasn't fair for all the other demigods, Troopers, satyrs and centaurs who had perished in the war.

He made a choice when he did the ritual. He knew the consequences and yet he decided to go on with it. It was no time to back down, he had decided long ago. Even if he was to perish forever, it would be done out of honor and love. It was true, if he was reborn again he would not have the memories of him dooming the future generations. But that didn't matter, he would not be responsible for the death of many more.

Without even knowing, the son of Artemis had begun to cry. His body trembled and his lips were parted away. It was the end, the literal end. There was no rebirth, there was no coming back later. He returned from delivering the message and he would perish.

"Alright. Send me to Earth, I have a message to deliver." Hector said sniffling

"Oh, and one last thing. Make sure nobody sees you. Leave the message and get out, alright?" Lachesis told

"Yes"

"Perfect. Now we will transport you into a cabin in Northern Idaho, United States. It is the cabin where Artemis has settled, so be quick. If our calculations are correct, you will have around five minutes to leave the message and get out. We will meet you in the forest to take you away. Are we understood?"

Hector nodded his head, his eyes filled with determination. The fates approached the boy and each touched his forehead with their index finger. Hector's body was transported through the void for around thirty second until he arrived in front of a simple cabin. The son of Artemis noticed how it was a very small cabin, and how isolated it was.

"Yep, definitely mom's" Hector muttered as he entered the cabin.

The inside was filled with hunting trophies. Hector smiled, feeling happy in his mother's domain. The smell of the forest hit his nostrils, making the boy relax his muscles for the first time in a long time.

The boy looked around until he found a notebook with a blue pen on top. He ran quickly towards it and began writing. As soon as he started to write, he panicked. There was so much to say and yet so little time to say it. It would take all the time in the world to write everything he felt like saying, but there were only five minutes on his clock. Hector knew that he couldn't trick the fates into giving him more time. Five minutes, that was it.

Those five minutes went by very quickly, but Hector felt satisfied with what he had written. There was nothing else to say. His feelings, his sorrows, his heart was all poured onto the paper of the notebook. It was his last message to his family and friends, his last legacy.

Knowing how his time had already passed, the son of Artemis decided to leave his most important belonging to his mother and father. He brought his arms to his neck and took off his ring-necklace. That necklace had been his emblema since birth, but it was now time to leave it to his original owner.

Hector looked at the notebook one last time, a tear streaking down his cheek. He quickly left the cabin but stayed close to the it.

The son of Artemis heard two people coming, and so he hid himself behind one of the walls of the cabin. He snuck his head out to see who was approaching, and saw the two people who he wanted to hug most in the world.

"I'm telling you Percy, no chipmunk sings like Alvin" Artemis said

"First of all, we all know that Theodore sings better. Second, there may be chipmunks that sing like them! You saw the movie!" Percy defended his point

"I'm the goddess of wildlife, did you forget? I would know if a mutant chipmunk can sing like that"

"Oh yeah? You wanna bet?" Percy asked

"How much?"

"If I win, you have to try my Chocolate-marshmallow-maccheese. If you win, then I will allow you to give me a makeover AND I will watch whatever horrible movie you want"

"I like those odds" Artemis smiled.

As she was about to open the door, the goddess of the hunt stiffened.

"Someone was in here" Artemis said.

Percy stepped up and put an arm in front of her. "I'll enter first, you're pregnant"

The god of tides opened the door slowly, peering inside the cabin to see if there was anybody in there.

"It looks like there's nobody here." Percy said as he opened the door in its entirety. "Whoever it was must've left recently"

Artemis slowly nodded, noticing that her notebook had been moved a little bit. She closed the door behind her and walked towards the table where the notebook laid.

"Percy..." Artemis said, taking the necklace and showing it to her husband. The god's eyes widened in recognition. It was the same necklace that he had given Artemis the first day he met her, and the same necklace who was given to their son.

"How?" Percy asked.

Artemis looked at the notebook and noticed there were some words written on it, a message of some kind. She took the notebook and began to read out loud, making her husband pay all attention to her.

"_Dear mom and dad,_

_This is the last time that I will be able to talk to you. After this, my soul will fade in the void, but let's not talk about that, let's focus on the good things. I just wanted to say that I love you both so much, and that I hope you guys live as happy as you can. You clearly deserve it (especially you mom). _

_Send a thank you to Uncle Apollo from my part. He allowed me to stay at his cabin and he let me stay in his house in Puerto Rico (which was wayyyyy too big). Also send my thanks to Hera, as she took care of me for quite some time. _

_If you can, please tell Annabeth that I'm happy for her and that I hope she lives a happy life._

_I couldn't tell you this before dad, but Silena told me to tell you that she was grateful for you getting her to Camp Half-Blood. I had to deliver that message. _

_What else can I say? Ah, I forgive you for everything, yada yada yada, I understand why you did it and yeah..._

_Lastly, I hope that you two can live happy. Whether that be up on Olympus or here in Idaho, you both deserve happiness and a family. I'm sorry I couldn't be part of it, but I guess it's for the best. _

_This is the worst way to say goodbye. Sorry for not being good at writing. Perks of not going to school. _

_I love you so much, like you can't even conceptualize (big vocabulary word)._

_Your son,_  
_Hector Carib Troy _

_ps. Kronos will never rise again, you're welcome :) _" Artemis read the letter, barely holding herself together.

Percy hugged his wife, shedding a few tears himself. If what the note said was true, their son was really gone forever. It wouldn't be a matter of how or when he was reborn, it was a matter of coping with his absence and moving on.

Hector watched from the window as his parents cried over his message. It was the only thing he could do, as the fates had told him that nobody should see him. Even if it hurt, he was not about to disobey the fates. Who knows, they might end up killing him, Perseus, and bring back Kronos. Probably not, but the son of Artemis did not want to find out.

The sixteen year old turned around, knowing that he had to leave. He walked towards the forest, where he met with the Fates once again. They looked him with serious expressions, but behind those serious expression was a hint of sadness. It was the first time ever where a mortal would have a destroyed soul, all because of a sacrifice to save his family.

"Are you ready?" The fates asked him

"Not really. But I have to do it" Hector replied. The fates walked towards him, touching his forehead with their index fingers and sending him off to the Void. It was the last time the Earth would feel the soul of Hector Carib Troy on her, the last time _anybody_ would ever feel his soul.

**There's probably going to be around one or two chapters, and then this story will be COMPLETED.**

**I was thinking about ways to like, not kill Hector off, but I believe that this was the most original and the closest I had to my original idea. There's no coming back, he faded (just like Kronos). I was considering on making him be reborn as Artemis next child, but at the same time, I had to be consistent with the sacrifice. He died so that Kronos would fade and Perseus could live, so bringing him back to life would just be like cheating everything. Please try to understand my reasoning...**

**This chapter wasn't that long, but I couldn't extend it while also maintaining the main idea. **

**As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. **


	38. Couple of years down the road

One of the hardest things in the world is getting over the death of a child. Especially for mothers, this task is not made to be done in their lifetime. It is the law of nature that a mother will die before her baby, that her baby will have other babies and _then_ the mother could die. When this order is disturbed, the mother is left with a hole in her heart. It does not matter if the mother is an inmortal, the death of a child always hits hard.

This was especially true for Artemis, who had just lost her first child forever. Her son, faded from existence, not even to be reborn. And all because he decided to sacrifice himself for his family. A family that had abandoned him, yet he didn't mind. He would be gone forever just so everyone else could live.

That was what hurt Artemis the most. Her son had died for her despite how little presence she had in his life. She knew that spending more time with him in the past would've not made a difference in his death, but at least she would've had better memories of him. At least one time in which he was laughing or just being happy with her.

The goddess of the hunt decided to not make the same mistake she did with Hector with her next baby. This baby would be raised by both her and Percy. Wherever it was, she would not forgive herself if her second child had to pass though the hardships that Hector went through. This child would have a happy life, at least as happy as she and Percy could provide.

Percy and Artemis were on a silent agreement to live in Northern Idaho for a while. The extent of their stay was never formally discussed, but they both knew that it would be a long time. Artemis would not have her residence up on Olympus for another year, and being in the middle of nowhere actually served the both of them as a therapy, especially for Artemis, who hated being surrounded by a lot of people. Since it was she who was pregnant, Percy took it upon himself to do everything in his power to make his wife happy.

It had proven to be a difficult task. Between the death of Hector and her raging hormones, Percy had found that making Artemis happy was near impossible. He tried to cook her favorite meal, but one second she liked it and the next second she was throwing it all up. If he made a joke, Artemis would end up crying because he had offended her. It didn't matter if it was a simple knock knock joke, the goddess of the hunt was too sentimental to engage in such banter. It was much worse than her first pregnancy actually, like her hormones had increased tenfold.

Winter came by just as Artemis approached her second trimester. Her pregnant belly had begin to grow significantly, and her laziness had nearly tripled. The goddess of the hunt did not want to hunt. In fact, she didn't want to get out of the couch for anything. She took very few showers, only doing so when Percy tricked her into taking one.

With winter came the winter solstice, the mandatory meeting for all Olympians. Due to its status of mandatory, Artemis was required to go. But the goddess didn't want to.

"Artemis, you have to go to the meeting" Percy said as he gave her the fifth cup of yogurt of the hour.

"I'm not going to a stupid meeting. I want to stay here" Artemis stuffed her face

"Arty, it's a mandatory meeting. It'll just be a few hours and then you can come back."

"Percy, I already told you. I'm not going even if Zeus himself comes here and drags me there. "

Percy sighed. "Ok Arty, listen to me. If you don't go, then the Olympians will think that something happened to you and they will begin to search for you and, eventually, they'll find us here and begin to bother us. Is that what you want?"

Artemis snorted. "You think they will look for me just because I don't go to one meeting? Seriously Percy, get your head out of your ass"

"Last time you went missing there was a quest issued."

"Yeah, because the Oracle began to walk towards my lieutenant, and I was captured. Before that I went missing for 200 years and nobody came looking for me."

"I find that hard to believe" Percy stood up, taking the now empty cup of yogurt to the trash can.

"It's true! I don't even have my hunters now, so nobody will come looking for me"

"What about your brother?"

"Apollo's all talk. The last time he did something himself was when he fought Python"

Percy came back from the kitchen with another cup of yogurt, which he gave to Artemis. Sitting down on the couch, he put Artemis legs on his lap and leaned back.

"I'm just afraid that something will happen to you if you don't go there" Percy said, looking straight to Artemis eyes

"I know how you feel, but trust me, not going is for the best. Imagine me going there and they see my belly? Zeus will throw a fit and then next thing I know I'm in Tartarus."

"Nothing will happen to you under my watch" Percy growled

"Wow wolf, chill" Artemis laughed. "What I mean is that, if I don't go, I can just stay here with you forever, or at least until we raise the baby. I want out baby to be raised as a normal child."

"But wouldn't it be better to raise him up on Olympus?" Percy asked

"The Olympus environment is toxic with capital T. No child of mine will grow up there"

"Right...so there's no way to convince you to go?"

Artemis shook her head. "Nope."

Percy sunk back, putting his hands on his face.

"Why are you so sad? You know that if I stay here, you can do anything you want with me" Artemis smirked, sitting up and inching closer towards Percy.

"I don't want to do anything _now_" Percy muttered

"What is THAT supposed to mean?!" Artemis screamed

Percy put his hands up, "Nothing! I didn't say anything!"

"You said that because I'm fat right?! I'm not pretty now?"

"No! I never said that Arty" Percy defended himself.

The days passed and Artemis did not change her mind about her presence on the Winter Solstice meeting. Once the goddess of the hunt had her head set on something, it was near impossible to change her thinking.

The day of the Winter Solstice, Artemis woke up just like any other day. She woke up on the bed next to her husband, got up, walked to the couch, and laid there for the rest of the day. Even as night came, Artemis made no effort to get up the couch. Time passed and passed, but it really seemed like the goddess of the hunt was not going to go to Olympus.

"So you're really not going?" Percy asked as the clock hit 8pm

Artemis shook her head. "Nope. If they treated me and my family like we were disposable, then they don't deserve my _oh so important presence._"

"I don't approve of this, you know that right?"

"I know that Percy. But think it in this way. I'm saving our unborn child from not having a good childhood. Isn't that what you want? For a second child to live happily?"

"I think this is called manipulation" Percy said, furrowing his eyebrows

"I'm not manipulating you, I'm simply making you see my reason. My _valid_ reason" Artemis smiled

Up on Olympus, the meeting with eleven of the Olympians (plus Hades) was about to take place. All the gods sat on their thrones bickering about different stuff. From never-ending wars on the Middle East to the marriage of Khloe Kardashian, each Olympian had a different topic of conversation. The only two thrones who were empty were Artemis and Apollo's.

The doors of the throne room flew open, revealing an angry Apollo. All the gods stopped bickering, turning their eyes towards the impuntual god of the sun.

"Why are you late?" Zeus asked

"I was waiting for Artemis, but she stood me up" Apollo replied with his face flushed in anger

"Did you talk to her before this?" Athena asked

"No...but it's tradition. We always come to the meetings together"

"So you expected Artemis, who we haven't heard from in six months, to come here and follow your petty tradition? You're stupider than I thought" Athena sneered

"Hey, watch it! One more comment like that and I'll tell everyone your little secret." Athena instantly recoiled at Apollo's threat.

"Apollo, do you know of the whereabouts of your sister?" Zeus asked

"No father. I have not been able to exchange any type of contact with her"

Zeus nodded. "Very well. We can't wait any longer, so let's start this meeting with the members present. Are there any topics which we should discuss in this council meeting?"

Apollo, Athena, Hades, Aphrodite, Hermes, Dionysius, and Hera all raised their hands.

"Very well. Hermes, what is it you want to discuss?"

"Iris has told me that there has been an overflow of Iris messages, so many that she can't keep up. So, I was going to ask the council if you would allow me, with the help from Iris and Hephaestus, to create some sort of cell-phone that is monster-proof" Hermes said confidently

"That sounds ideal, but very hard to do, almost impossible...but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try. Hephaestus, are you up to create this device?" Zeus replied

Hephaestus nodded with a smile. "Of course! It sounds like a great challenge, and I'm always up for one"

"Dionysius, what did you want to discuss?"

"Do I have the council permission to kill some of the demigod bastards? They've been a pain in the ass lately"

"No Dionysius. You are not allowed to kill, maim, or injure any demigod" Zeus replied in a bored tone.

"But dad-"

"My decision is final." Zeus said with finality, making Dionysius slump back on his throne. "Now, Aphrodite, what did you want to discuss?"

"I just want to say that you should ALL watch The Proposal. It stars Sandra Bullock without her botox, and the hunk of a man that is Ryan Reynolds. It is a story that will make you all laugh, cry, and want to re-discover you love life. It is an AMAZING movie, fun for all the family-"

"And it only has 44% on Rotten Tomatoes" Hermes said looking at a cell-phone

"Fine! You don't watch it. Don't come crying to me later when your crush is already married to another man and pregnant with his child just because you couldn't say your feelings millennia ago" Aphrodite humphed

"What are you talking about?" Hermes asked clearly confused

"No, you don't want my help. I won't tell you what I meant"

"Tell me!"

"Silence! You can both settle your little argument after the meeting is over. Apollo, what is it you want to say?"

"I think we should look for Artemis. She has been missing for six months now, and although she isn't the most social out of all of us, it isn't like herself to not be in contact in such a long time." Apollo proposed clearly distraught.

"Why can't you just leave the poor girl alone? She's clearly saddened by the death of her only child and her husband. It's normal that she wants to have some time away." Ares said, surprising everyone.

"As much as I hate to agree with him, Ares is right. Artemis just needs some time alone." Athena agreed

"But that's the thing. My sister has never needed time alone, or at least not this much time. Even when mom was killed, she was just a week away from everyone" Apollo tried to explain.

"I must agree with what Ares said. Artemis is simply coping with her losses" Zeus said, shutting any hope Apollo had of finding his sister. "Now, Athena, what is it that you wanted to say?"

"The Troopers have found no trace of Hector Troy, the son of Artemis. They have searched all the US, yet there is no sign of him ever being on any place." Athena said

Zeus stroked his beard. "Has anybody else found some trace that can potentially lead up to my grandson?"

All the Olympians shook their heads, telling Zeus their results without the need for words.

"Keep looking then. Hades, brother, what is it you wanted the council to discuss?"

"Yes umm, after the war I was checking up on the souls and the beings down in Tartarus. From my information, Kronos is not found anywhere on the Underworld or Tartarus. Same goes for Hector, their essences are just gone. I've checked with other sources, but they don't seem to be anywhere on the Earth" Hades explained

"They're not, _anywhere_?" Poseidon asked bewildered

Hades nodded. "Yeah, that's what I said. They're just gone"

"That's not normal. Something unnatural must be at work here" Athena pondered

"No shit owl head" Poseidon snorted

Athena glared at the sea god but refrained from commenting. She knew that if she replied she would be playing straight into his trap.

"That is very serious. Keep monitoring the dead as you have and report to us if you have any further news. And thank you brother" Zeus thanked a grinning Hades. "Now the last person is Hera. What is it that you wanted to say dear?"

Hera looked around the room, scanning the face of everyone. She saw how Poseidon looked at her in indifference, how Apollo looked at her with hate, and how Ares looked at her with love. Even if he was the most savage of the gods, he was always a momma's boy. Ares, for some reason, always loved the idea of having a family, and that's how she knew that her next few words would break his heart.

"I want a divorce."

The Olympians all stared at the goddess of marriage as if she had just grown a third eye. Most of them had their mouth open, others couldn't comprehend exactly what was happening.

"You what?" Zeus asked after his shock

"This really can't come as a big surprise Zeus. You cheat on me around four times a week, and with different mortal women."

"But-but you're the goddess of marriage!" Zeus yelled

"This isn't a successful marriage. I refuse to be a married woman in such a condition, it isn't what I should represent"

"And you couldn't, I don't know, tell me in private instead of telling the whole council?!"

"Did you keep quiet when you cheated?" Hera asked, leaving Zeus speechless. "That's what I thought. So, it's fairly simple. I did you the favor of marking where you need to sign." Hera conjured some papers which appeared on Zeus lap.

The King of Gods sighed, conjuring a black pen and signing the papers. "This is so fucking embarrassing" he muttered.

After three minutes, Zeus had finished signing all the papers. He sat defeated in his throne, feeling all the gods and goddesses eyes on him.

"If there's nothing else to say, I declare the meeting adjourned" Zeus said, flashing away instantaneously. The other members of the council soon followed, leaving only the goddess of marriage and the god of the seas alone in the throne room.

"Poseidon, can we talk?" Hera asked, coming down to her mortal size.

"Um, sure. What's up?" Poseidon said casually

"Well, you were obviously there for my divorce..." Hera began to say

"Right, yeah. That was unexpected" Poseidon chuckled

"I was thinking about doing it for such a long time, but I only mustered the courage to do it now."

"That's cool."

"Yeah, I was reminded because of someone. He told me stuff I hadn't thought about. Certain feelings that were never buried away."

"Feelings?"

"Poseidon," Hera inched closer. "I want to be with you"

"W-w-wh-what?" Poseidon stuttered.

Instead of repeating herself, Hera got closer to Poseidon and locked her mouth with his. She kissed him ferociously, grabbing his neck and pulling him closer to her. Poseidon wasn't kissing back, he was in shock over the actions of the previous Queen of Olympus. After a few seconds of her kissing, Poseidon got a hold of his senses and pushed the goddess of marriage away.

"Hera, we can't do it."

"But I divorced Zeus."

"I never asked you to do that." Poseidon sighed. "Look, I'm happily married to Amphrite. Even if we didn't marry out of love, I still grew to like her. We were in love long ago, and I won't lie and say that I never think of you, but I'm married. And she's a good wife despite everything, I'm the one who has been unfaithful. I'm sorry for your divorce, but I can't do the same for you" and with that the Sea god flashed away, leaving the previous Queen of Olympus with a broken heart.

Years passed as everything went back to normal. The gods kept on monitoring their domains. Aphrodite was messing with love lives, Apollo was driving the sun chariot while simultaneously looking for Artemis, and Athena ordered the troopers to look for the lost souls. However, in those years there had been no trace of Artemis in Olympus. The gods had believed that after the three-years-of-no-property ban that Artemis had was over, the goddess would've returned to Olympus and forget everything. They had not expected a goddess daughter of Zeus to hold a grudge, but that seemed to be just what happened.

Five years after the titan war ended, Zeus ordered the search for Artemis. He was afraid that something had happened to his favorite daughter. That, and he also wanted to apologize for the way he had reacted to her marriage with the sea spawn. The King of Olympus knew that he was in the wrong, and as proud as he was, Zeus knew that an apology was in order. But in order to apologize, he would need to find Artemis.

Every god, with the exception of Dionysius, was put on search duty. Some accepted very reluctantly, but none dared to oppose Zeus decree. The Troopers were ordered to search for their previous mistress, and they did so with great fervor. After some time away from her, and after Hector talked to them, the troopers got to see the whole truth behind Artemis. It was true that she had lied to them, but when they analyzed what had happened when she told the truth, the Troopers understood the reason behind the lie. Artemis had lost the hunters soon after the truth was uncovered, she had lost her properties, and she had lost her entire family.

However, seven years passed and none had found any trace of the goddess of the hunt. It seemed as if the only person who would be able to find the lost goddess was the goddess herself. Nobody knew if Artemis was hiding or if she was captured, but after long years of searching, Zeus called the search for his lost daughter off. Many of the Olympians were relieved when the search was called off. They had been spending seven years in search for someone who didn't want to be found.

The only ones who continued the search were Apollo and the Troopers of Athena. Athena herself did not want to continue the search, but each and every one of the Troopers wished to carry on, and the goddess of wisdom needed to have them on their good side. Both Apollo and the Troopers continued their search individually. Sometimes they met each other, but most of the time they just wished to be apart. Apollo hadn't completely forgiven them for the cold shoulder they had given Artemis, and the Troopers simply didn't want to be with Apollo for a long period of time.

One day, both groups felt a huge surge of power in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. They moved quickly to the place of the power surge, finding it to just be a normal hotel. The hotel was packed with adults and pre-teens, whom were mostly boys.

"How many rooms do you think you'll need?" Apollo asked the lieutenant of the Troopers

"Four rooms should do." Thalia Grace replied

Apollo nodded, moving towards the counter. "Hi, can I get five rooms please?"

"Do you have a reservation?" the receptionist asked

"No."

"Sorry, but the hotel is full. The Little League World Series Tournament is this weekend, and all the players, parents and spectators are staying here."

"All these people are here to watch little kids play _baseball_?" Apollo asked

"Yes sir. One of the teams supposedly have the best players Little League has ever known. Many of the people here actually came to see them."

"Well that's interesting," Apollo muttered without really caring. "are there any other hotels in town?"

"Yes, there is a Quality Inn a few minutes down the road. That one may be full, but it's your best shot."

"Bet. Thank you for your service" Apollo said handing the receptionist a 100 dollar tip.

"So, did you get us the rooms?" Thalia asked the god

Apollo shook his head. "No, the hotel is full. Apparently the Little League World Series"

"The what?" a trooper asked

"The world championship of baseball for kids aged 12 and under."

"What's baseball?" Another trooper asked

"It's a sport."

"Is it like wrestling?"

"No. It's complicated. All you need to know is that there are bases and a ball. The rest you can figure out yourselves." Apollo said, not wanting to talk to the troopers any more.

"So where are we staying?" Thalia asked

"I'm going to the Quality Inn. You, on the other hand, can make camp nearby. Where? I don't care. Let's just agree to meet in the entrance of the Howard J. Lamade Stadium tomorrow at 9am. The power source must be coming from one of the spectators. For now, I take my leave" and with that, Apollo flashed away from the troopers.

The Troopers of Athena made their way to the few trees that surrounded the town. In about five minutes, the troopers had set up their camp and went to hunt for their food. They spent the night in solitude, only to be awaken by the sound of a conch. Atalanta, the trooper who had been keeping an eye on the perimeter, had blown on the conch to alert an intruder. As soon as the conch was blown, all the other Troopers got out of their tents and prepared themselves for an attack.

The troopers had their bows out, with the exception for Thalia who had her spear and shield ready to use. They were waiting for whatever danger they might've encountered. However, it was their surprise when a girl of around 12 years stumbled upon the camp.

The girl had black hair, green eyes, and was very beautiful in a non-pedophilia way. She stood around 5'5 and had an athletic figure. She wore some athletic shorts and an Adidas white shirt. As the girl saw the Troopers and the camp, her eyes widened and she began to walk away.

"W-Who are you?" the girl asked

"Troopers, stand down" Thalia commanded. "What's your name?"

"Why do you guys have bows? And why do you have a spear?! Are you guys terrorists?" the girl was terrified.

"Wait, you can see the weapons?"

"So I'm not hallucinating..." the girl muttered.

"No, you are not hallucinating" Thalia replied

"Then who are you guys? If you are going to be carrying weapons, I would suggest you take an AK-47, or at least some type of gun."

"We are the Troopers of Athena. We serve Lady Athena in any mission she sends us on. But right now, there is something more important we must know"

"I'm the one who should have questions! Who the heck is Athena? What types of missions does she send you on? Are you Russian spies?!"

Thalia rubbed her head. "Do you have dyslexia and ADHD?"

The girl looked Thalia with a blank expression. "What a random question. No, I don't have dyslexia and ADHD...and you still haven't answered any question I've asked you."

"Chloe! Where are you?" a boy asked from behind the woods.

"Can't he just leave me be for one minute?" the girl muttered

"Your name is Chloe?" Thalia asked, earning a nod from the girl. "Is that boy looking for you?"

"Yeah. I've told him to leave me alone so many times already, but he still comes and follows me..."

"Chloe! There you are! And who are these girls with you?" the boy came out of the forest and into the clearing. He had brown hair that could be confused with red while under the sun light, and green eyes. He wore some blue shorts and a white T-shirt.

"Don't come near her_ boy_!" a trooper sneered. "If you even touch a hair on her head you will wish you had never been born."

"Chloe, who the heck are they?"

"I met them here on the forest. All I know is that they serve someone named Athena." Chloe responded

"Ok, whatever. We need to go before someone notices we're gone." The boy went to grab Chloe's hand but was kicked in the chest by one of the troopers.

"I told you! You don't touch her with your filthy hands!" the trooper who had warned the boy before said.

"Yo wait!" Chloe got between the fallen boy and the trooper. "He's harmless"

"But you told us that you told him to leave you alone"

"Because he annoys me, not because he's harmful. Honestly, he's so stupid that he can't tell a lagoon from a lake."

"By insulting my intellect, you're insulting yourself" the boy said from the floor

"Shut up Milo!"

"Don't talk to your older brother that way!" Milo screamed

"I'm the older one! You know that, I know that, mom knows that, it's common knowledge."

"That's not what it says on our birth certificate. You check the hospital, it will say that I was born before you."

"Yeah because of daylights savings!" Chloe yelled. "How long do we have to argue the same thing?"

"Until you admit that you're wrong." Milo said, getting up from the ground and rubbing the dirt off of his dirty shirt.

"But I'm not wrong! You know that I'm never wrong."

"Oh that is soooo not true! You said that it was Yanny instead of Laurel, you said that the dress was gold and white, and you said that Turkey was in Asia!"

"But it is! It's mostly in Asia!"

"Do Turkish people look like our friend Andrew Yang? No, right?"

"But that's east Asia moron. Asia is ginormous. I mean, it has a population of-"

"Will you both shut up?!" Thalia yelled annoyed by the bickering of the siblings. The rest of the troopers were also pretty annoyed, not having heard such a sibling quarrel since Apollo came to visit back when Artemis was in charge of them. Those discussions could go on for hours. Literally.

"Right, we have company" Chloe muttered

"Anyways, we have to leave now. Coach is going to be so pissed off if he doesn't find us in our rooms" Milo said grabbing Chloe's hand.

"He can go to hell for all I care. But it was nice to meet you Russian spies of Athena! Hope to see you never again!" With that, the siblings ran off to the direction of the town. The troopers were left confused over what had happened. The girl seemed to be just a clear-sighted mortal, but it was common knowledge that no-clear sighted mortal was a twin. There was no reason behind that rule, it was just how things were.

"I guess, we have to get ready to meet Apollo in the stadium." Thalia muttered, retiring herself to her tent. The troopers ate their breakfast in silence and packed up their tents by 8:30, giving them half an hour to arrive at the stadium.

And half an hour it took them to get to the stadium. There were many people from all ages, loud music blasting through some speakers, and some vendors selling baseball Jersey's of the two teams who would be competing. Kids were running around with foam bats and their parents were laughing, discussing how the game was going to be like. The two teams who seemed to be playing were Northwest and South Korea. It was pretty obvious that the spectators were rooting for Northwest, as their merchandise was selling out at rapid rates.

"You're on time" Apollo said from behind the group. He was wearing some khaki shorts and a striped Yankees baseball Jersey. "I bought one ticket for each of you. Unfortunately, only one of you can sit behind home plate with me. The rest of you will have to go to the Low Rows on the Upper Level. So, who will sit with me?"

"Atalanta, you go with Apollo. I need to keep an eye on the rest of the troopers." Thalia ordered

"Sounds good! A little father-daughter bonding time with the classic American tradition of baseball!" Apollo smiled as he distributed the tickets. "So, I guess Thalia knows how these things work, sorta, so I'll leave you to it"

The sun god turned around and walked towards the entrance of the stadium with Atalanta trailing right behind him. After giving the tickets to the security guard, they headed towards their top-tier seats. They were on the second row right behind home plate, the best view in all of the stadium. Well, second best view. The first row still had a better view.

"Remember, we're here to find the source of the power surge" Apollo whispered as they sat down.

"How do we do that?" Atalanta asked

"Once the game start, whoever the source is will surely forget about concealing its power. Therefore, it will allow us to locate him, or her, or it, on this stadium. We will work a plan to trap whatever it is afterwards." Atalanta nodded at the explanation.

After both National anthems were played, the game started with the Northwest team batting. As soon as the first batter came up, Apollo and Atalanta felt a very powerful being nearby. The power was very close to them, and whoever it was could be potentially very dangerous. The first batter was a strike out, the second batter got to first base, and the third batter was able to go to first base while the second batter got to second base.

"Batting now for Northwest is Milo Jackson. Milo is twelve years old, 5'7, loves to go camping, and his favorite player is Masahiro Tanaka." The announcer said on the speaker

"Does he have to do that for everyone of those kids? It's getting old." Apollo muttered

"Dad, I think we should watch out for him. He came across our camp earlier this morning with a twin sister. They seem to be clear-sighted, but I'm not sure." Atalanta whispered to the sun god.

"Alright, we'll keep an eye out for-" Apollo said before being distracted by the huge power surge. If the power was big before, then it had just turned into something inexplicable. The sun god and the trooper exchanged looks, both looking straight at the twelve-year-old boy with brown hair and tanned skin. The boy looked to behind the plate and smiled at their direction, but not at them, he seemed to smile at the couple right in front of them.

"They must be his parents" Apollo told his daughter.

The boy positioned himself to bat as a leftie. He looked straight at the pitcher as all the boys before him had done. He looked just like every other twelve-year-old baseball player there, yet there was something that came off of him, like a different aura. Apollo tried to know what it was, but his mind was clouded by another aura very close by.

"Let's go Northwest! Let's go Milo!" the woman in front yelled

"Come on Milo! Hit it out of the park! Those Koreans got nothing on you!" the man besides her yelled.

Apollo groaned. Just what he needed, overexcited parents in the middle of his mission.

Usually in baseball, a batter lets the first pitch to be a strike. This way, he can observe the style of the pitcher, how fast his ball moves, if it has any curves, and then he can hit the ball more effectively the next pitch. This boy, however, just swung on the first pitch. And hit it. Out of the park.

"MILO LET'S GO!" the man yelled. "What did we tell you? Right out of the park!"

"MILO SHOW THESE KOREANS THAT THE GREEK-AMERICANS MAKE THE BEST ATHLETES" the woman yelled.

Apollo was getting pretty tired from these white-trash people yelling. He could understand that they were excited, but couldn't they show it in a less loud manner? And worse of all was the fact that they seemed to be part greek, an abomination for their whole culture.

The scoreboard now showed 3-0 in favor of Northwest. The stadium was filled with people screaming. It was the first inning and already Northwest had three runs.

"Batting now for Northwest is the only girl in this Little League World Series. Chloe Jackson is twelve years old, 5'5, loves going to the lake with her friends, and her favorite player is Javier Baez." the announcer said.

"Come on Chloe! Show them boys who's boss!" the woman in front yelled.

"So, this is the sister?" Apollo whisper/asked Atalanta, who replied by nodding.

The girl did the same thing as her brother had done previously, with the exception that she positioned herself as a righty, not as a leftie. She hit the ball on the first try, just as her brother had done, and hit it right out of the park.

As soon as the girl went out of the vision of Apollo, the power surge began to diminish. It was still very much present, but its intensity was not nearly as much as it had been when she or her brother were playing.

After around five more batters, the South Koreans were finally able to bat for themselves. However, much to their surprise, the pitcher seemed to be Milo Jackson. Almost none of the batters were able to bat, and those who did were easily taken out by Chloe Jackson on second base. But Apollo didn't care about that. He cared about the power surges, and the weird relation they had to Milo Jackson and his sister. Each time they came out to play, the power surge increased dramatically.

But, even worse than the mystery of the power surge, were the annoying screams of the couple that sat in front of Apollo and Atalanta. Each time either Chloe or Milo Jackson stepped foot on the field, they seemed to scream their asses off. Apollo could put up with the screams for a few innings. But after the fifth inning of the constant screaming, the sun god just wanted to blow his brains out and then burn his brain remains.

It was the sixth inning and Apollo had had enough. The couple kept on screaming without caring about his precious eardrums.

"Excuse me, but could you please scream less?" Apollo touched the man's shoulders.

"Let me enjoy my kids game man." the man replied without running his head.

"I'm not telling you not to enjoy it, I'm telling you to lower your voices just a little bit. My eardrums are going to explode thanks to you and your wife"

The man didn't reply, he simply ignored the sun god...and Apollo took full offense to this. He tapped the woman's shoulder a couple of times. At first the woman ignored him, but after constant nagging, she turned around to face the god of music.

"WHAT?!" she screamed before taking a real look at who the man touching her was.

The woman looked around 29, but Apollo knew she was not that young. She was wearing a baseball cap and a baseball jersey. There was no make-up on her face, yet she didn't need it. Her face was not super pale, but she was still very white. The silver eyes that represented her held no change whatsoever.

"Artemis?" Apollo asked in shock

"Lady Artemis?!" Atalanta asked by his side

Artemis stared wide-eyed at her brother and niece. She had spent twelve years on the shadows of Olympus, living her best life, and they just had to ruin it the moment her kids were going to win a World Title!

"Artemis, what are you doing here? Where have you been? How are you? Who's this guy?" Apollo began throwing questions.

At his mention, the man turned around to face the annoying people sitting behind widened his eyes when he saw his brother-in-law sitting right there next to...someone he didn't recognize.

"P-percy?!" Apollo asked in even more shock

"We'll talk after the game is over." Artemis said, turning back around to see her children play their favorite sport. All she wanted was for her children to reach their 18 years without any sort of abnormality, but it just seemed to be impossible. No matter how much she tried, the plans she made for her children never worked out.

* * *

**A lot of things happened in this chapter, I know, but it's all essential to make the story come to an end.**

**Some of you guys wanted a girl while others wanted a boy...well now you have both. I honestly always wanted Artemis to have twins. It just makes sense for a twin to have twins, like she would have a greater probability of having twins irl because she's a twin herself (I'm pretty sure).**

**Thank you all who have followed this story for so long. It really means a lot to me. **

**Please review if you can, I always read them :)**

**A special thanks to Georgehunt for always reading my stories and reviewing on them. Also Mr. Salvos, I've seen you have reviewed since such a long time and never thanked you for it. Sorry if I missed someone who always reviews. I'll send you a PM if I notice I didn't mention you. **

**Also thank you all of those who have either followed or favorited this story. I really appreciate it.**

**Be expecting the last chapter soon, because I finally finished my last year of high school, so I have nothing else to do. **

**Again, thank you all so much for reading.**


	39. It ends where it starts

It was no surprise to anyone when the Northwest team won the World Title by beating the South Korean team a whooping 30-2. Every spectator knew that there were only two reasons why the game was so one-sided: Milo and Chloe Jackson. The only reason why South Korea could do two runs was because Milo Jackson, the main pitcher of the Northwest team, had to rest his shoulder per Little League regulations. If it wasn't for that, the South Korean team would've not been able to make a single run in the whole game.

The twins had put their little northern Idaho town on the map of many baseball fans all around the world. Under normal circumstances, not many people would've paid any attention to the Little League championship. But this wasn't a normal circumstance, not by far. Never since its opening season in 1939 had the Little League seen such an open score in a championship.

Everyone rooting for the Northwest team was ecstatic. The players were the happiest they would probably ever be (not realizing that they would peak at 12 years old), the parents were unbelievably proud of their sons, and the coaches were happy for the accomplishment of their students. The South Korean team and their parents were proudly ashamed...they were proud to have gotten to the championship and be the second best team in the world, but they were also ashamed of the score.

The Northwest team parents had decided to celebrate with a good old pizza party in the nearest Italian restaurant. The children deserved that much after such an accomplishment.

The parents were all taking pictures of their children with the trophy. From individual pictures to group pictures, all the way to the mandatory white people silly pose picture, the kids were all too happy to even bother with complaining. In the middle of taking all the pictures, Artemis was thinking about a certain brother of hers who was waiting outside. She had promised him that she would explain everything to him, but she didn't really want to do that. However, she knew that she should not lie to her own brother. She had always told him the truth, and he never really did anything to screw her over, so there was no reason why she should lie to him.

Although she needed to come up front with her brother and Atalanta (which would've probably be accompanied with the rest of the troopers), Artemis did not want to put her kids in the middle of everything. The least they knew of the world, the more they could keep enjoying a normal childhood. Once they were eighteen years old, she and Percy would tell them all about the greek world and all the incest that comes with it. But for now, they were happy, and that's all that mattered.

"Sharon, could you take Milo and Chloe to the pizza place? Me and Percy have to do something and we'll probably arrive 20 minutes late." Artemis asked the mom of one of the children.

"Don't you worry Artemis. I have plenty of space in my minivan, and I doubt Ethan will mind." Sharon, a white, blonde middle-aged woman replied.

"Thank you so much, and sorry for the bother"

"Oh you're good!" Sharon dismissed Artemis with her hand. "Milo and Chloe are probably one of the best behaved children I've met."

"At least they behave like that around other people. When they're home, they both turn into savages and begin to fight over the most little things!" Artemis laughed in her fake white mom laugh.

"That's how siblings are." Sharon chuckled as she put away her phone. "I'll text you the address as soon as we get to the pizza place."

"I would really appreciate that. Thank you so much!"

"It's really no problem!" Sharon said, walking away towards her son.

"Mom!" Artemis heard her son yell.

"There's my little champion!" Artemis said, hugging her son. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you mom. Did you see that curve ball in the fourth inning?! That guy didn't know what just happened!"

"Yeah I saw, didn't you hear me rooting for you?"

Milo blushed. "That was so embarrassing mom. You and dad could be heard all around the stadium."

"We were just so proud of you and Chloe" Artemis hugged her son even tighter.

"Yeah, I know."

"Where's your sister?"

"She's talking to dad over there" Milo pointed towards Percy and Chloe, who were laughing together. Artemis and Milo then began walk towards the other half of their family. "Mom, when we get back home, can we go on a hunting trip?"

"You're not old enough." Artemis replied

"But I'm twelve! I'm old enough to go on a hunt. I mean, Teddy Roosevelt was a hunter at age 7! Plus, I'll be with you so nothing bad will happen."

"I promise you we will go hunting later on, just not now. You'll understand when you're older."

Milo put his hands up. "You say that every year but I don't understand anything yet! I'm twelve years old mom! Everyone knows that twelve year olds are really mature!"

"What are you fighting about now?" Percy asked as he noticed the arguing mother-son duo.

"Mom won't let me go hunting!" Milo yelled

"Milo, listen to your mother." Percy said sternly

"Yes dad..."

"How can you do that so fast?! Why don't they respect me as much as they respect you?" Artemis asked annoyed

"Because I'm scarier."

"I know at least a thousand people who can deny that."

"Sure, whatever you say." Percy smiled. "Did you talk to Sharon?"

Artemis nodded. "Yes, and she has agreed to take the kids."

"Take us where?" Chloe asked

"To the orphanage. We don't want you anymore." Percy replied, earning a slap on the arm from Artemis.

"She's going to take you to the pizza place. Your father and I have to take care of something first, but we'll get there and be with you." Artemis explained.

"Why couldn't you talk with Josh's mom?" Milo complained

"Because I don't trust you with Karen." Artemis replied

"You have to let go of your Karen hate." Percy said

"I will let it go when she vaccinates her children! What kind of mother doesn't vaccinates her children?"

"And no offense, but Josh is pretty weird..." Chloe muttered

"No he's not! Josh is awesome! He's really cool to hang out with, and he makes the best jokes."

"Ok, whatever you say gaylord."

"I'm not gay. You're gay!" Milo yelled in outrage.

"I like guys you moron."

"Exactly, and that makes you gay."

Chloe looked straight into Milo's eyes. "Repeat what you said, and think about it, carefully. Don't reply, just think for a minute."

"Milo, Chloe, go with Sharon. We have to go now." Artemis said rubbing her temples.

"Alright mom." Chloe said

"You'll come to the pizza place right?" Milo asked

"Of course. Our babies just won the World Championship! We won't miss the celebration for anything." Percy grinned as he ruffled both of their heads.

"Have fun with the team!" Artemis said

"Bye mom! Bye dad! See you later!" the twins said in unison, running towards their teammates.

Percy and Artemis stood still as they saw their children head outside with their team. They were laughing with their peers, dunking a giant water jug on their coach, and just having fun being kids.

The married couple exited the stadium from another exit, meeting Apollo and the troopers face to face. The troopers did not hold any weapons, they simply stood there staring at Artemis with wide eyes. Apollo himself was almost paralyzed, still not completely believing, first of all, that Artemis was the person they had found, and second of all, that Percy was alive.

"Never thought you were that kind of mom." Apollo said breaking the silence.

"Why are you here?" Artemis asked

"The troopers and I felt a very big power surge coming from here, and so we came to investigate. Tell me, why hasn't the council been notified of two new gods?"

"Because last time the council found out about my son, our father issued a fucking manhunt." Artemis replied

"We've been searching for you for over seven years Artemis! Not once have you come up to tell us you're ok, or that you just want to be left alone."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "I was hoping you would take the hint."

"Artemis!" Apollo said in a scolding tone. "You know it is your responsibility to notify the council of new gods."

"Yeah, but it's never said _when_ I have to tell the council. We were going to notify everyone when they were eighteen. That way they can enjoy their childhood just as any normal mortal child."

"But they're not mortals! A god isn't supposed to be able to play Little League Baseball"

"In their defense, there is no rule against gods playing baseball." Percy interjected

"Ok, parenthesis, how is he alive?! Poseidon told us he died in Atlantis." Apollo pointed his finger at Percy.

"I did die, but I came back for some reason, built myself a cabin, and re-met Artemis." Percy shrugged

"Where have you guys been living?" Apollo asked

"Somewhere in the Northwest." Percy grinned

"We're not going to tell you exactly where because we know that you're going to disturb our peace." Artemis added.

Apollo sighed. "Fine, I won't ask further. But you did say that you were going on Olympus when the siblings turn eighteen, right?"

The married couple nodded in unison.

"Lady Artemis," Thalia began to say. "I speak for all the troopers when we ask for your forgiveness. It was wrong on our part to treat you so badly on such a dark time in your life. We are deeply sorry."

The troopers fully bowed to Artemis. Each of them was pleasing forgiveness while looking at the ground, not really thinking they were worthy of looking the moon goddess in the eye.

Artemis was extremely uncomfortable. She hated looking at her hunters-now troopers- bow so cowardly at her feet. It wasn't that they didn't bow to her when they were under her command, but they didn't do it with such fear. Maybe it was that Athena was not treating the girls nicely, or maybe it was simply that they were afraid of the repercussions of their "disloyalty".

"Please rise." Artemis said. "Nobody has bowed to me in over twelve years."

"We are deeply sorry Lady Artemis. Please forgive us" Atalanta said

"Please forgive us." The troopers wailed.

Artemis groaned. "Rise, please, this is extremely uncomfortable."

The troopers rose one by one, still not able to look at the goddess in the eye.

"Now that you don't look so pathetic," Artemis began to say. "I'm sorry for deceiving you for so long."

"We're the ones who need to apologize." Atalanta said shaking her head. "You lead us for thousands of years and it was wrong of us to abandon you when you most needed us."

"You literally did nothing wrong. The group was handed over to Athena and she is in charge of you now. _I'm_ the one who should apologize."

"No, we are still sorry for how we treated you. Please forgive us."

Artemis sighed. "How about we both accept the apologies and end this corny scene?"

The troopers nodded and went to hug their past patron. Artemis engulfed them all in the hug, feeling the slight connection she somehow held with the troopers increase. It had been so many years since she actually had seen the troopers and talked to them. They were once the closest thing she had to daughters, but now she would remember her as her sisters in arms. From Zoë to Phoebe to Atalanta, Artemis would remember each and every one of them with a warm heart, but time had moved on. Now they were part of her past life, the past Artemis, the Artemis that was not as happy as she was now.

"So, in six years right?" Apollo asked his sister once she finished hugging the troopers.

"That's correct." Artemis said, hugging her brother goodbye. "Oh, and please do me a favor."

"Depends on what it is."

"Please don't tell the council about this. I will come clean in six years, but please let us live peacefully while we can."

Apollo nodded. "I won't utter a word."

"We won't alert our mistress either Lady Artemis." Thalia said, as many of the troopers nodded behind her.

"I hate the word mistress." Percy muttered, nobody listening to his comment.

"Thank you all so much. We will see you soon, and please stay safe." Artemis said, grabbing her husband's hand and turning away.

Those six years passed flying by. After the Little League World Championship, the twins of Artemis and Perseus decided to start doing other sports. Even as many recruiters tried to get them to enlist in all-day training facilities in Florida such as IMG, the twins had decided to just live their life peacefully. They obviously didn't need the extra training, so why suffer when they could be going to parties and getting drunk under-age?

The twins turned out to be very good at every other sport they tried. Milo Jackson had entered his school's football team and had won varsity MVP for three years in a row, while Chloe Jackson had switched from baseball to softball. Neither Artemis nor Percy enjoyed watching their son play the barbaric game Americans called football, but they let him be happy with his life choices. After all, there was no evidence that football could cause brain damage in gods.

During those six years, the mood goddess and her husband had begun to teach their children all about the Greek World. Of course, the twins had a basis just like everyone else, but these Greek World lessons went in much greater detail. They learned important things such as that Demeter was a creepy cereal lover, that Athena was lying jealous b-person, and that Apollo was probably the most annoying person in existence.

The twins were very alike in many aspects. They both loved to play pranks on each other, call each other gay, and fight each other. At the same time, the twins had some key differences that made them very similar to one of their parents. Chloe Jackson loved everything that had to do with water. Even if she hadn't been to the ocean herself, she loved every photo and enjoyed spending time in the town lake. On the other hand, Milo Jackson enjoyed being surrounded by the trees and staying late watching the stars. His favorite constellation had alway been Orion the hunter. He always liked how his mother told the story and tragic fate of the ancient hunter.

When their eighteen birthday came, both gods had passed their entire childhood living as any small town mortal would. They had gone through heart-breaks, been the heart-breakers, gotten drunk, failed a test, made a TikTok, started drama with the furry community...in short, they did everything a teenager should and more. They had also applied to universities and gotten rejected by their top choices, but they did get into some good universities that suited their interests. In the end, they both chose the same university, even if it meant having to spend an additional four years next to each other.

"Happy Birthday!" Artemis yelled as both of her children came into the dining room.

"χαρούμενα γενέθλια!" Percy yelled at the same time

"No, it's too early for Greek." Milo groaned

"Why did we wake up so early?" Chloe asked

"Today is a very special day! You'll know all about it once you eat your breakfast." Artemis smiled as she handed them both a chocolate cake.

Chloe smirked at her breakfast. "Now this is what I call a balanced breakfast."

"Don't get sassy or else she's going to make us eat eggs." Milo said as he shoved the chocolate cake slice down his throat.

The twins ate their breakfast quickly and were left with a completely full stomach.

"You could've at least bitten your food and helped with your digestion." Percy mocked his children.

"Couldn't-" "-resist-" "-food-" "-too-" "-tasty." The twins said exchanging words.

"You better learn how to control yourselves, or else you'll stay paralyzed like you are...not that we mind because this actually makes it much easier for us to explain." Artemis said, sitting down in front of Milo. Percy noticed what was happening and sat on the chair besides Artemis and right in front of Chloe.

"Chloe, Milo, listen well what we're about to tell you." Percy said

The siblings nodded, feeling way too full to even talk.

"Ok, so what we're about to tell you will change your life forever." Percy continued

"Milo, Chloe, you are, how can I put this delicately..." Artemis began to say

"You guys are Greek Gods." Percy finished the sentence

"Riiight, and you're is Kanye West" Chloe said as Milo chuckled from the joke.

"It's true." Artemis said. "You guys are Greek gods just like us and your grandparents."

"Is this some sort of secret society in which we are initiated when we turn 18?" Milo inquired.

"No, it's the truth. We are greek gods and today we are going to take you to the Olympian Council." Artemis said

Chloe shook her head. "I don't care if you are my mother, I'm not going to any cult."

Percy put his hands on his face exhaled. "Children of Aphrodite are easier to convince than them..."

"Milo, haven't you ever wondered why I haven't taken you hunting even though I'm a very experienced hunter? And Chloe, haven't you thought about the fact that we have never gone to the beach no matter how much you have nagged?" Artemis asked

"Yeah...you still haven't let me hunt! I'm eighteen mom!" Milo yelled

"The reason has to do with this. If we had let you into part of our domains, then your powers would've been easy to detect by other Olympians and you would've been introduced to our world much younger, something that we didn't want." Artemis explained

"Why not?"

"We wanted you to have a complete childhood. We knew that once you were introduced to the Greek World, your whole world would've changed forever." Percy replied

The twins looked at each other and then at their parents. There seemed to be no trace of them lying or of this being a prank. However, they were still not ready to believe everything that had been told.

"How can you prove that this is true? That you guys are pagan gods?" Chloe asked

"Don't say pagan gods, that's offensive." Percy scolded.

"Sorry. But still, how can you guys prove that this is true?"

Artemis smirked evilly and snapped her fingers. All of the sudden, to loud screams were heard, one male and one female.

"Artemis! Turn them back. You could've easily done something else, like summon you bow." Percy scolded his wife.

"Yeah I know, but watching them freak out like this _is_ kind of fun."

"I have boobs! Why do I have boobs?! And what happened to my-Ahhhhhh!" Milo yelled

"Why do I have a-ho-I-wha-so-" Chloe said at a loss of words

Just as easily as she had done the first time, Artemis snapped her fingers and turned her children back to their original genders. "Now do you believe me?"

"That was the most scarring experience I will ever go through." Chloe shivered

"Well it proved our point, so I think it was successful." Artemis grinned.

"Fine, we believe you." Milo said once calmed down. "Wait, are you like, _the_ Artemis?"

"Daughter of Leto and Zeus at your service"

"Didn't you have some hunters that helped you?" Chloe asked

"Yes," Artemis sighed. "But they were given away to Athena."

"Why?"

"You'll learn more about that later. Now you have to change clothes. No child of mine is going to Olympus in pijamas." Artemis said standing up.

"Can't we do it later?" Milo groaned

"You'll do it now or else I will turn you into a girl again."

The twins quickly stood up and ran towards their rooms to change clothes. Artemis took the empty plates and put them on the sink, ready to be cleaned later on. Then she turned around and walked towards Percy, who was sitting down and fidgeting with his fingers. The moon goddess took his hands and pecked Percy's lips.

"Calm down. Everything will go alright." Artemis whispered.

"But what if they react the same as last time?"

"They won't, I have a fairly good feeling."

The parents sat on the living room, waiting for their kids to come back down fully dressed. The first to come down was Milo, who was wearing a simple sweatpants and a hoodie. Then Chloe came down, wearing a very short leather skirt and a tube silver top.

"No way. Go back up and change." Artemis said

"But mom! This looks really cute on me!" Chloe complained

"Chloe, what is the most prevalent type of relationship in Greek history?"

"Love?"

"Incest Chloe! More than half of those gods are your family, so I'm not taking any chances. You go up there and change."

"Fine" Chloe groaned.

"Don't you think you were a little over-protective of her?" Percy asked

Artemis turned her head to look at her husband. "Percy, you haven't seen Ares in action. The bastard is married to his twin sister. I've hear the phrase_ Incest is Wincest, _which is gross by itself, but that pig is practicing in twincest! Now imagine what he would do to a girl who isn't that closely related to him."

"Mom, I'm not sure I want to go." Milo said after listening Artemis rant

"Don't worry sweetie, nothing bad will happen. I'm just being careful." Artemis flashed a smile towards her son.

Soon enough, Chloe Jackson came back down wearing some leggings and a sport-bra shirt.

"This is the most appropriate thing you'll wear right?" Artemis asked defeated.

"Mom, you know I have a good fashion sense. And part of it has to do with revealing a little something." Chloe said making extravagant hand gestures

"Who would say you're not Aphrodite's child." Artemis muttered.

The family went outside and stood in front of their house. Their house was far away from everyone else, but it still was close enough to the town so that nobody would question the family for anything. It was a total of fifteen minutes from the house to the twin's school, and about thirty to forty minutes to the town.

"How are we going to get to Greece?" Milo asked

"We're not going to Greece. Olympus was moved to Manhattan, at the top of the Empire State Building." Percy explained to his son.

"Then how are we going to get to New York?"

"We're going on the moon." Artemis replied.

Both twins began to laugh their asses off. They had yet not completely grasped the idea of Greek Mythology not being mythology, but now their mom was actually saying that they were going to be transporting themselves with the moon. The laughter was interrupted by the sound of reindeers, and a silver sleigh behind it.

"Kids, I present to you the moon chariot. Well, more like sleigh right now." Artemis smiled

"This...is the moon?" Chloe asked raising an eyebrow.

"That is correct."

"What about Neil Armstrong and the moon landing?"

"Fake."

"Ha! I told you Chloe! There was no moon landing, there is no Easter bunny, there is no Tooth Fairy, and there is no Queen of England." Milo laughed as his family all looked at him.

"Let's just head to Olympus before we lose any more brain cells." Percy said, getting in the front of the sleigh. Artemis sat besides him while the twins sat in the back. "Arty, isn't it weird for the moon to be out in broad daylight?"

"It's not common, but the mortals can comprehend it, so I'm allowed to do it."

The family of four made their way from Idaho to the Empire State Building. It only took them around an hour to get there, but it was still quite a lot when that hour was spend with bickering twins. And even worse was the fact that their curiosity seemed to peak in that hour, making them ask every question known to mankind.

Artemis parked the moon chariot close to the Throne Room, which would make the family walk only around three minutes. On the way to the throne room, the twins were admiring every work of art that Olympus had to offer. There were way too many statues of Apollo and Aphrodite for Artemis taste, but that's what you get with narcissist gods.

There was nobody on the Throne Room when the family arrived. The twelve thrones stood in their majestic selves, each holding enough power to kill a mortal. The twins looked around the throne room in awe. If they hadn't believed their parents then, then they definitely believed them now.

"Milo, Chloe, sit on the foot of my throne next to your father." Artemis told them before growing to her godly size.

"This is the weirdest birthday to date..." Chloe said

"Amen sister." Milo agreed.

The twins sat down next to Percy at the door of Artemis throne. The moon goddess then conjured her bow and launched an arrow to the ceiling of the throne room, effectively calling a meeting.

One by one, the angry Olympians began to flash to their respective thrones. The last one to arrive was Zeus, who seemed to have been quite busy before being interrupted. However, much to Percy's and Artemis surprise, Hera did not glare at Zeus.

"Ok who the fuck called this meeting?!" Zeus asked angry

"I did father." Artemis said.

All the Olympians turned to look at her for the first time in eighteen years. She seemed to have changed, being in her 35 year old form instead of her usual 12 year old one. She was wearing a suburban white mom outfit, yet she seemed happy with that choice.

"Artemis?! You came back!" Zeus said

"Yeah, and I brought the whole family with me." Artemis said motioning to the foot of her throne. Percy grinned and waved his hand to all the Olympians while Milo and Chloe tried to hide somehow.

"Wow, who's the babe?" Ares asked

"Yeah, I was going to say. She's kinda hot." Dionysius added

"That would be my daughter so keep your hands to yourself unless you want an arrow on that thing that makes you a man." Artemis threatened, making all the gods straighten themselves.

"Daughter, where have you been all these years? We have searched for you for quite some time, but as you may know, came back empty handed. Where you in the land beyond the gods?" Zeus asked

"Nah, I was in Idaho."

"...Idaho?"

"Yeah. It really isn't that bad once you take all the white supremacism out." Artemis explained

"Are we not going to talk about the fact that Percy's alive?!" Aphrodite asked/screamed

"Yes, thank you! I was thinking you guys forgot about me" Percy faked his hurt

"Percy...how are you alive? We never found a trace of your body on Atlantis." Poseidon asked

"I really don't know how I'm alive. I know I died, cause there was a time where I was not alive, but then some time passed and I was no longer dead, I was alive."

"That vocabulary overwhelms me." Athena mocked

Percy turned to the wisdom goddess. "Athena, nobody likes you, so do us all a favor and shut up. I get it, you wanted to have a date with me even though you knew I was married. But when you found out I wouldn't cheat, you got cranky and sought to fuck my family up. However, time has passed, so move on, fuck someone else, just not me, my wife or my kids. To sum it all up, shut the fuck up."

There was a silence before some gods began to applaud. Among them were Apollo and Hermes, whom were cheering, and Aphrodite who was just happy that someone finally put Athena on her place.

"I love you Percy!" One of the gods shouted amidst the cheering.

"I love you too random citizen." Percy winked

Once the cheering calmed down, Zeus cleared his throat ready to talk, but was interrupted by Hera.

"Have you heard of Hector?"

Artemis and Percy face both fell, making the Olympians uneasy.

"He sent a thank you to Apollo for letting him stay at his cabin and house, as well as a thank you to Hera for taking care of him." Artemis said melancholy.

"Who's Hector?" Milo asked

"Hector was your brother, the first son your mother and I had. However, unlike you two, he was born mortal for some strange reason. We couldn't raise him ourselves, so we sent him to a camp for demigods. He lived there until he was twelve, then he lived with my mother Hera, and then he lived alone for some time. Then he fought a war against Kronos, which we won largely thanks to him." Percy explained

"What happened to him?" Chloe asked

"He faded." Artemis replied

The Olympians all stared at Artemis as if she was crazy. Percy had just said that he was born mortal, so how could his should have faded? In order to fade you would need to be immortal.

"What do you mean he faded?" Hera asked

"His soul has faded in the void. He didn't tell much about it on his note, but he said that Kronos will never rise again. I bet it has something to do with that."

"So that's why his soul wasn't anywhere...it all makes sense now." Zeus muttered as the rest of the gods nodded.

"Let's change the subject." Artemis quickly said. "I actually came here to present my kids and so they could receive their domains."

"Right! I have a new nephew and niece!" Apollo said happily. "I tell you Milo, you are going to have so much fun at the strip club! We'll go to a Canadian strip club so you can drink and watch girls dance at the same time."

"Apollo, you are not taking my son to a strip club." Artemis said

"Why not?"

"Because he has a girlfriend."

"He has a what?! Then we gotta start building a cabin at Camp Half-Blood ASAP! You know that our family has very fast swimmers."

"I don't have a girlfriend." Milo muttered

"What was that?" Artemis asked

"I broke up with Emily." Milo shrugged

"What? Why?! She was such a sweet girl"

"Because she wanted to marry me! There's already like five people from our class getting engaged, and she also wanted to get engaged, and like no. I'm eighteen."

"I got something that can aid your heart" Aphrodite said, winking at the young man.

"Aphrodite please leave my son alone." Percy said

"Sorry, force of habit."

"Can we get back on the domain thing?" Hermes interrupted all the bickering

"Yes! We must call the-" Zeus began to say before a flash of light appeared on the center of the room. The three fates had just arrived and were ready to grant the domains to the twins of Artemis.

"Milo and Chloe Jackson, please step forward." The three Fates said in unison.

The twins got up and walked towards the Fates. They were very afraid of the Moirai, and with great reason. The Fates were very creepy for anyone, and the children of Perseus had just been introduced to the Greek world.

"Milo Jackson, son of Artemis and Perseus, you have been assigned the domains of the Future, Conservation, Sports, and Stars." Milo glowed a silvery-yellow color as his domains became one with him. After feeling complete, the new god of Stars went to sit down on the foot of the Throne of Artemis.

"Chloe Jackson, daughter of Artemis and Perseus, you have been assigned the domains of the Past, Fresh Water, Rebellion, and Fertility." Chloe glowed a silvery-blue color as her domains became one with her. Same as her brother, the goddess of Fertility went to sit down on the foot of the throne of their mother.

"Perseus, son of Hera and Poseidon, heir to the Olympian throne and to the throne of Atlantis, you are not the god of time anymore. The ritual of time has been completed, and with Kronos faded from existence, you now hold the title of Titan of Time." the Fates said in unison before leaving.

"Zeus, father-in-law, _suegro, suocero, petherós,_" Percy said chuckling as he put his hands up in surrender. "I have no plans of going after your throne or doing anything diabolic, so please don't strike me."

Zeus laughed hard. "Son in law, I do not believe you will try to take the throne. I have learned from the past. You don't have to be afraid of me, we are family after all."

"...Is this a prank? If it is then please stop." Percy said

"No, I am not pranking you Perseus. I sincerely regret my actions of the past, and even though I cannot change them, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make up for it." Zeus said truthfully

"I-um, thank you Zeus."

"It is no problem." Zeus replied. "I call this meeting adjourned."

Many of the Olympians flashed away quickly, which only left Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Apollo, and the family of four on the throne room.

Zeus was the first to shrink himself to a normal human size. He walked towards his grandchildren, and without any sort of prevision, hugged the twins. The children of Artemis were completely surprised by this (even though one of them was literally the god of the future), and therefore didn't know how to react. After some seconds, Zeus pulled away with a great smile.

"I may not be the best father, or husband, or grandfather, but I'll try to make it up to your parents starting with you. So expect a lot of presents from your grandpa Zeus." the Lord of the Sky smiled as the twins grinned.

After Zeus left the Throne Room, Poseidon shrunk to his human size and walked towards the family. Instead of hugging his grandkids, the Sea God hugged his son.

"Percy, I'm so glad you're ok." Poseidon said

"I am too father. I'm sorry I couldn't save the infantry back in the war."

"They fought valiantly; it was an honorable death Percy. Still, I'm glad you're alive."

Percy smiled. "I am too. If I had died then I wouldn't have been able to raise my children."

Poseidon turned towards his grandkids, who both stared curiously at the Sea God.

"Hey kids, I'm your Grandpa Poseidon, the coolest of all the grandparents. If you ever need anything, just talk to the sea. I gotta go now, take care!" Poseidon said before flashing out.

Next to approach was Hera, who was smiling greatly. She hugged Percy as if there was no tomorrow, crushing every bone on his spinal chords.

"I missed you too mom" Percy managed to say.

Hera then released Percy, who was happy to finally be able to breathe, and turned to her grandchildren. "So, Chloe and Milo?"

"Yes ma'am" the twins said

"You look so much like your father." Hera told Chloe, who blushed at the comment. "and you, Milo, it's like I'm looking straight to Artemis."

"That's what I've alway heard, that I'm a male version of my mother." Milo said proudly

"Except that mom actually has neurons" Chloe interjected.

"Well at least I have brain cells."

Hera chuckled at the bickering twins. Then she turned to Artemis, and much to the surprise of the moon goddess, gave her a hug.

"Thank you for bringing Percy back Artemis. I never really thanked you for that. If it weren't for you, he would still be in that blasted island. But look now, he has a whole family, and it's all thanks to you." Hera said as she hugged her daughter-in-law.

Artemis hugged back. "He's the one that has helped me. He has made me happier than I ever could've imagined. And he's the one that actually gave me a family."

Hera pulled back from the hug and smiled, taking her leave from the throne room.

"I have to admit sis," Apollo came down from his throne and joined Artemis. "never in a million years would I have thought that I'd see Hera hug you."

"Neither would I."

"Doesn't it feel like a lot has happened, yet we still end in the same place? Sure, you have a family and Percy is no longer imprisoned, but you're still going to end up being the same goddess of the hunt. Milo and Chloe are going to become their own gods with their own decisions, and you're going to go back to live in solitude. Was everything worth it? All the suffering and secrets?" Apollo asked

Artemis turned her head towards her family, watching as her beautiful children fought and how Percy sat bored watching them. Then, he looked at Artemis and smiled brightly. That same smile that had made her fall in love with a stupid boy all those years ago.

"It's not about what we gained, it's about the journey. I may end alone with Percy just like I was on the island all those years ago, but I'm a completely different person and the world has changed because of it. The death of my first child helped me raise my other children much better, and even if they do not continue on living with me, they have still shaped me into a completely different person and they will also continue to change the world. So yeah, everything was worth it."

Apollo smiled at his sister, feeling incredibly proud of the maturity she had reached.

"Is it ok if I take Chloe and Milo and teach them archery and stuff? I promise that I won't take them a strip club or anywhere you wouldn't approve of. I just wish to have a little uncle-nephew-niece bonding time." Apollo asked

"Yeah, of course." Artemis replied. "Milo, Chloe, come here a second."

The twins stopped their bickering and approached the other set of twins.

"How would you guys like to spend the rest of the day with your uncle Apollo?"

Chloe thought about it. "I mean, shouldn't we spend our birthday with our paren-"

"I'll let you guys ride on the sun." Apollo said

"Mom we would like to spend the day with Uncle Apollo!" the twins yelled

Artemis laughed. "Alright. Have fun you three."

Apollo grabbed the sibling's shoulders and led them outside, telling them a couple of lessons on 'how to live awesome'.

Percy approached Artemis and hugged her. Artemis hugged back, leaving her head fall on the crook of his neck. Together they flashed back at their house in Northern Idaho, being alone for the first time in eighteen years. So much time had passed, yet they still ended up together. After two wars, the death of one of their child, the death of one of them, the loss of the hunters, yet they still ended up as in the start. Together, without a care about the rest of the world, they would spend their life.

"Feels good being alone." Percy commented

"It really does." Artemis said

"So...what do you want to do?"

Artemis looked at Percy and smiled. "Let's play some WiiSports."

* * *

**OK I don't know who to thank, so thank all of you who have read this story. Even when things weren't looking up, ya'll still read this. I know I'm not the best at endings, and I hope it doesn't seem too rushed. I really hope you appreciate this story, because I know I have enjoyed writing it. **

**This story will not have a pt.2 simply because there is nothing else to write. The cycle of the story is complete, and that's how I intended it to be. Plus, I really wouldn't know what else to write about. **

**If you want to check my other story, it's called My True Colors. It's quite different from this one, like really different, but I really like writing it. It's a Pertemis also, so for those of you who are always looking for new Pertemis fics, there's one. **

**Again, thank you all for joining me on the journey of writing this story. **


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